I know what you are saying about nurturing what God have given us and examining ourselves, and to know ourselves inwardly. What I am saying we don't do this on our own outside of God. We need God to bring us up to different levels in our life.
Forgiving trespasses is what Jesus prayed in the Lord's prayer, and yes, the brethern are to forgive trespasses. In all that you asked, you have not mentioned Jesus once, and without Jesus we can do nothing. Knowing oneself, examining oneself, and nurturing what God gives us or offer us, I agree, only as a means, to line our life up with what the Word Of God says.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.