Project Forgive: Shawne Duperon
Her movement on global forgiveness was created through a film called Project: Forgive. The film’s five-minute video has been seen by tens of thousands.
Life happens.
We lose our jobs, we face bankruptcy and foreclosure. Some of us are dealing with a divorce, others of us are facing life threatening illnesses such as cancer.
Culturally, we see deep political fighting, immigration issues, war, despair and violence. In the face of all this, how can we find the courage to forgive and cause a new realm of possibility, a new conversation?
Have you ever felt angry or disappointed with yourself? Sure you have. As entrepreneurs, we have to take risks—it comes with the territory. And with risk comes mistakes, which can be really upsetting. Plain and simple: Some mistakes are tough to forgive.
So what happens when you don’t forgive yourself for taking risks that backfire or spending so much time on your risks that you neglect your personal life?
Can it actually harm your business? Six-time Emmy Award winning producer and PBS host Shawne Duperon says it can—and will. “The true entrepreneur, who really rocks it out, has the ability to forgive themselves quickly,” says Duperon. “All the fruit, all the amazing opportunities, are out there on those skinny branches, and sometimes you’re going to fall.”
“The risk game is filled with traps that will lead you to making mistakes,” she says. “But the real trap is to stay in the pain of the mistakes.” We know that holding on to anger and other negative emotions affects our health and our choices. Duperon believes that we all have two choices—the choice between love and fear. “Love may be an odd word in business, but think about how this applies in social media,” she says. “People who like Apple on Facebook, for instance, love their iPads.
