May I Be Forgiven?

Forgiveness Friday

The Ask

Dear Friend,

On this Friday, I ask for your forgiveness.

I ask for your forgiveness for the newsletters 6 Mindfulness Practices To Help You Navigate Massive Life Changes and Why You Might Be Unknowingly Reinforcing Depression.

I failed to consider the harm these pieces would cause.

What Sparked the Ask

I didn't take into account the pain these articles could inflict.

• Sharing private information on the internet

• Inconsideration for people who struggle with depression

• Inconsideration for talented professionals in the mental health field

• Insensitivity to people harmed by depression

• Insensitivity to a friend

• Insensitivity to my partner

Those are all traces of my ignorance.

I didn't use wise judgment before hitting publish.

I hope that asking for forgiveness is a good step in reconciliation.

5 Quick Reasons Why I Feel Asking For Forgiveness Is Important Right Now

Reason 1: Invasion of Privacy

It wasn't fair to my partner.

It wasn't fair to her that I shared information about our relationship on the Internet without her permission. Besides, the information told a bit of a deluded story.

I was foolish for sharing that.

I’m also sorry to my friend.

I did a poor job of listening to his needs and expressing mine. I never meant any ill will.

For those actions, I ask to be forgiven.

Reason 2: Mental Health Professionals Are Essential

I'm not here to sugarcoat life.

Life is hard. People struggle. And it is rude for me to imply, "Yeah, mindfulness oughta do the trick.”

This was inconsiderate to those who try their damndest every day to work through the difficulties of depression (more on this later).

In addition to that, I did not mean to badmouth skilled practitioners.

Although mindfulness has helped me tremendously, there is no replacement for the help of trained professionals:

• Therapists

• Psychiatrists

• Psychologists

• Psychotherapists

• Licensed Mental Health Counselors

And I’m sure I’m missing other professionals.

These folks can be infinitely helpful on your mental health journey.

They perform miracles daily.

They can teach you tools and strategies to use to cope with challenges such as relationships and depression.

They can make you feel like life is worth living again.

I've had times in my life when I've gone to therapy, and it helped tremendously.

They are essential workers.

Always have been.

Always will be.

I apologize for not being kind to you.

Reason 3: Lack of Consideration for Others

People experiencing depression aren’t asking for it.

I’m also aware that I know nothing about the deepest, darkest, most difficult experiences that people are going through, so to say depression is mostly a mental illusion paints a false picture.

It’s deeper than that.

It’s:

• Biological

• Neurological

• Physiological

• Psychological

So I apologize for what I said about depression being a mental illusion.

It’s much deeper than that.

It takes tremendous work for an individual to get through the depths of depression, rarely seen by others.

I’m sorry I didn’t consider that before writing my piece.

I see you now.

Reason 4: Inauthenticity

After publishing those pieces, something didn’t sit right in my stomach.

The gurus will say, “If you’re nervous about hitting publish, it means you’ve got something valuable to share.”

I disagree.

To me, it meant something was misaligned. I wasn’t sharing the full truth in my writing.

Instead, I tried to come at my writing from different angles those days.

But I feel like I lost part of my authenticity in that process.

For that, I apologize because it’s my mission to be as honest as I can on here.

Reason 5: False Depiction of Mindfulness

I’m not writing on Substack to share false information about mindfulness.

I feel like I’ve portrayed mindfulness as a quick mental health fix.

This is untrue.

The practice of mindfulness takes time. It takes patience. It takes the right attitude. It takes a balanced effort.

Sure, it can help you with emotional regulation, letting go of intrusive thoughts, managing anxiety and depression, and reducing stress.

But it often takes more than just mindfulness to get your mental health in a place of groundedness.

Also, mindfulness is so more than just a stress reducer.

It's a way of connecting with yourself in a way that's as intimate as intimate is.

Every moment you’re mindful of is pregnant with experience.

It’s a way of developing a loving awareness for life.

No matter how it feels.

And it’s a practice best done over and over.

Moment by moment.

So we can return again.

3 Ways I'll Move Forward

Now that I’ve cleared the air, here are three ways I’ll move forward:

• I'll likely archive the newsletters

• I’ll write with consideration for others

• I’ll write from a place of deep honesty and intention

I've also toyed with the idea of starting a new publication entirely.

Who knows!

Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading :)

- Jimmy

Before You Go

What’s something you’d like to ask forgiveness for?

Share below in the comments.

Or, if you’re feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee to help fuel my next honest essay.

I appreciate you :)