StartForgiving.com Step Seven: Lighten the Load We may have felt disappointed when someone failed to meet our expectations. But this problem was created by us, not by them. The solution? Lower the bar. We can’t expect others to give more than they’re capable of giving; we can’t expect others to be who they aren’t; and we certainly can’t expect them to be perfect.
1. Thinking of a specific situation, write the demands you made or are making of others. You could complete these phrases, Name should start…. Name should stop doing…. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 2. Rewrite each of the statements above in the “I” form, looking at yourself, adding how the statement about yourself could also be true. For example, Pat should stop interrupting my work during the day. I should stop interrupting my work during the day. (This is true because I have let myself be distracted by surfing the internet and have started wasting a lot of time.) I should stop interrupting Pat’s work. (I also have the habit of asking her opinion about things without asking if this is a good time for her.) Do this for every statement listed above. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ StartForgiving Process Step Seven. Based on Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach Page 1 StartForgiving.com © Daughters of St. Paul. This can be copied freely. www.pauline.org