Grace gets easier to give once you count how much you’ve been given.

Stinginess with forgiveness usually comes from a short memory. When you have forgotten the times somebody covered for you, let a thing slide, or waited while you got your act together, your own standard starts to look like something you achieved alone. Counting honestly makes generosity feel less like a favor and more like passing something on. The arithmetic does the work that willpower cannot.

List three specific times you were given a break you had not earned. Keep one of them in mind the next time you are deciding whether somebody deserves one.