From Forgiveness to Gratitude on a 7:47

In the summer of 2012, we took a family vacation to Europe. We went to Omaha Beach and traveled to Basel to visit friends before returning to the States via Paris. Between Switzerland and flight home, we went to Krakow, Poland, en route to a private tour of Auschwitz by twin holocaust survivor Eva Kor.

At the time, I wasn’t fully aware of her amnesty statement and the subsequent controversy. When one of our fellow tourists asked her why she forgave the Nazis, she said, “I forgave the Nazis because I deserved forgiveness.”

What?!?

Her response shook me to my core. It’s a day I hope I will never forget.

“Up to that time I always reacted to what people did to me, and in many ways, I acted as a victim, now I was originating action and that’s where the feeling of power comes in forgiveness.” – Eva Kor

The prior eleven years leading up to this moment, I had tried to forgive the driver who hit me, but I couldn’t do it thoroughly. Yes, I let most of it go, but my backpack was still heavy with emotions.

She inspired me to fully “let it go” and forgive the driver. On our train ride back to Krakow, I started to unpack my backpack. By the time we got to Charles de Gaulle Airport and boarded our 747 back to Newark, I felt lighter.

Last week thanks to one of our awesome-sauce peloton members, Shawn, I boarded a different type of 747. This one was an invite to attend Chris Schembra’s 7:47 Dinner.

This week’s video is about what happened during dinner. It shook me to my core. It’s also a day I hope I will never forget.

If you caught last week’s video, you know that I’m riding my bike across the country this summer to celebrate twenty years since My Last Bad Day. We are calling it The Pause Breathe Reflect Tour.

It will be forty-five days of gratitude, resilience, and the type of warm-fuzzy energy that makes you feel good inside. My friends at TOLA Marketing put together an awesome-sauce video profiling the route and helped redesign my website. I hope you will check it out to discover more about the ride and sign our Pause Breathe Reflect Pledge.

If you like to be part of our amplification team, please let me know. There are cool perks for those willing to support.

While you are there, check out the new Pause Breathe Reflect Store and grab your gear for Spring. It’s the Mantra of our Moment.

As always, thanks for spreading the good word about our peloton.

Until next week, remember to Pause Breathe Reflect to discover the power of forgiveness and gratitude, and have fun storming the castle.

Happy Easter.

Michael