Mental Health Week - Day 3

In 1939, the St. Louis left Germany carrying 907 Jewish passengers fleeing persecution from the Nazi Regime.  The ship was turned away from Cuba and then the United States.  They sought asylum in Canada where they were also refused to let them disembark.  The ship returned to Europe and about half were given asylum in various countries in Europe but 254 were killed in concentration and internment camps.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that he intends to give an apology on behalf of Canadians for this uncomfortable truth in our history.

Prime Minister Trudeau has been apologizing for many things despite that these things happened years ago and he had nothing to do with these things.    He discussed how different he is from his father in that regard.  He notes his father approached such things from purely academic lens where there was no benefit in apologizing for things that happened in the past.

Trudeau feels that it is healthy for the country to acknowledge uncomfortable truths so that we can learn the lesson and never repeat.

This is somewhat similar to what happens in twelve-step groups all over the world.  In those groups, one is required to make a fearless moral inventory and to make amends to those we have hurt.

What does this have to do with mental health week?   Well, there is another uncomfortable truth and that is that not one of us is perfect.   We have all done things that we are not proud of and we all have regrets for actions of commission or omission.

For many of us, this "yuck" remains inside of us.  For many of us, it holds us back.  For many of us, it is very difficult to acknowledge our role in conflicts with others.  For many of us, it is difficult to acknowledge that we bear some "fault" in situations that have not gone well for us.

Regardless of what you think of Justin Trudeau's politics, he is showing leadership in this regard.

As difficult as it is, it is also freeing to acknowledge our personal mistakes, give apologies when appropriate, and learn the life lesson behind the mistake.  It is not easy but it does ensure that we do learn the life lessons and we can do better in the future.

Most importantly, it removes that "yuck" that we have hidden inside us.  Now we have the opportunity to replace that with something better.  Getting rid of the yuck and accumulating positive moments is the secret to building a life worth living, a happier more peaceful life.

By apologizing you may lose a little face, but you have the opportunity to gain so much more.