"Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men"--A Lesson from Pop TV

by WiredBerries Editors — December 7, 2007

"My Name is Earl" is a popular NBC TV show about a fellow who took a few wrong turns on the highway of life. Through a twist of fate, Earl won a small lottery. However, after having an epiphany, he is determined to right all the wrongs from his past before enjoying his good fortune, which brings about a tailspin of life-renewing events. Although the show is a fictional comedy, it does make a good point--there's something to be said for making amends. It's what I call the "My Name is Earl" exercise. It's a simple practice anyone can do to make life a little more peaceful, which is especially nice during the holidays. Here's what you do: consider someone you have wronged in your life. The mistake may be big or small, but everyone has done something unkind, thoughtless, or selfish in their lifetime that has hurt another individual. After identifying a situation that you don't feel complete closure about, and where you were in the wrong, come up with a game plan for making amends.

Of course, often there is no way to reverse what happened, but the point is to do something that you feel at least somewhat sets things right. For example, perhaps you passed on an unkind rumor, or piece of information, about a former friend or coworker that got back to that individual. To make amends, consider calling that person (even if this event happened years ago) and tell them how sorry you are for your bad judgment at the time, and ask for forgiveness. There are limitless examples, of course, but the point is to find something that you feel is still an unresolved blunder, and do something about it. Write down your plan and put it in motion as soon as possible. This can be a one-time thing or you can repeat this "exercise" as many times as you want until there's nothing left on your "list." Either way, it's a wonderful feeling to wipe something off of your slate. The best way to get past any lingering regrets in life is to make the situation as right as you can, and then move on.