“If we have been selfish, unselfishness should atone; if we have wronged, we should right; if we have hurt, we should heal; if we have taken unjustly, we should restore; if we have been unfair, we should become just. Regret without regeneration is—an emotional gold-brick. Every possible reparation should be made. If confession of regret for the wrong and for our inability to set it right be the maximum of our power let us at least do that. A quick atonement sometimes almost effaces the memory. If foolish pride stands in our way we are aggravating the first mistake by a new one. Some people’s mistakes are never born singly—they come in litters.” ~ William George Jordan
I wonder how many high school seniors could correctly define “atonement” were we to poll them as part of a graduation readiness study. Even more telling would be to compare that total to the number of students who could define “revenge.” It feels at times that the world is short on noble-minded, benevolent people and long on petty, weak-minded folks, yet somehow our faith in humanity persists.
It would save you a lot of grief were you to realize that life is too short to hold grudges, to wallow in regret or to let the voice of your individuality be muted by foolish pride. Such approaches are cancerous and constrain to bitterness, no matter how much attention you might garner in the form of pity or commiseration.
One way to avoid making the aforementioned mistakes in your living is to dedicate your life to being a blessing to others. Make no mistake, this does not mean being “nice” to people and never saying or doing hard things. Rather, it means living radiantly, listening carefully and doing all within your power to assist those within your sphere of influence to reveal their highest and finest expression no matter what they may be facing or how they are feeling at the time.
When you take this approach, the your reservoir of faith in humanity fills to overflowing and you become part of the solution – the forces of regeneration – instead of being an agent of corruption and decay. Whether or not the scales tip in favor of those who take the high road in your lifetime is really beside the point, but do what you need to do relative to your life, your challenges and your mistakes and the blessings released thereby will ripple out well beyond your immediate field of responsibility and serve as an inspiration to others who are pondering which road they should take in their living .
Gregory Hake 
That’s a great point…..it doesn’t matter what your generation or your social environment does in terms of your own behavior. It’s certainly quite easy to conform to what everyone else is doing and it’s certainly easy to find validation in others to act in a way that is vindictive or revengeful, for that is a peculiar trait that masquerades as heroic, but upon reflection, the energy behind it is not one of peace. The high road, as it is called, leaves the journeyman with a deep sense of calm; he walks that path with no ill in his heart and no scheme in his mind, absorbing all the thorns and thistles thrown his way and doing his best to let die their energies. The one on the high road gains perspective from the altitude and realizes that his footsteps do not stop with himself; they help pave the way for others to gain perspective and live the peace that high-altitude living offers.
I personally feel these posts are a journey of sorts, exploring both the heights and depths of human living. My mind walks through the various alternatives during my reflection, and then my day before me is the landscape of my day’s journey. What will I do with what is presented to me, to what.I will encounter? How will I walk? What road will I take? Thanks for such an exciting perspective on life!
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These are essential keys to ‘stepping up our game’!
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Excellent post, thank you!
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Usually when there is talk of having faith in humanity there is an underlying conviction that such an attitude reveals a ‘nice’ if naiive attempt, or perhaps even a thin guise, because everyone knows you can’t trust human beings! Well, in a sense we can’t, not when orientation is fixed in self-concern, not when fear and greed are the drivers of motivation. However, we can always trust the right in people, the core of beauty and unique creativity that exists, regardless of how covered up it may be. As you say, the art and the science is in finding the ways to draw that fine and right quality out of each one to the degree that they will allow it. The more that happens, the more there is to trust, and the more specific our investments of trust can become.
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Our appreciation for our lives is demonstrated by how well we live them. Mistakes as we have noted are a part of everyones experience. Recovering from them and letting them propel us upward has become a somewhat bygone practice. It has been replaced with a deluge of whining, complaint, blame, self pity and accusation of just about anything imaginable, that drains us of vibrant living. Understanding the meaning and power of atonement later in life is like owning a great car then years later finding out about oil. The sooner we start cleaning our engines the smoother and longer this rides going to be. I have always thought that atonement opens the door for forgiveness. It is the ultimate instrument for change.
Thanks for bringing this up.
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Great points about a little understood topic- atonement and for that matter, blessing. The view is always better from the high road! Thanks.
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