5 Steps to Forgive Yourself for Your Past and Release Guilt

Decide to forgive yourself
Know that punishing yourself is not a form of redemption
Make sure to do everything in your hands
See the goodness in yourself
Remember that you’re human

1. Decide to forgive yourself

Before we even get into the nitty-gritty of practical steps to take, you have to be ready to go on this path. You deserve forgiveness. You must be here to accomplish that, but it’s so simple to fall back into self-blame.

 

Affirm to yourself, “I am ready to forgive myself.”

 

I don’t know what happened, I understand that it could be deeply hurtful, but you can’t let your mistakes define you. I promise you, you’re more than that.

 

You don’t deserve to be in a state of guilt; you deserve peace. Give yourself permission to release this burden. It’s not unfair. You’re not going easy on yourself. You’ll be and do better as a result of this. Choose to forgive yourself if this is the best thing to do right now.

 

2. Know that punishing yourself is not a form of redemption

I used to think torturing myself with negative and self-blaming thoughts was a way of making amends. I thought it was what I deserved after making a mistake. However, that resulted in nothing but misery, wasted effort, and a spirit devoid of empowerment. It was not right to keep the attention on myself and my failure. I came to the conclusion that getting myself together and fixing the dent was the better—and, to be honest, the more wise—course of action.

 

It’s not good for our well-being to be that harsh voice in our heads. There are better ways to right the wrong.

 

3. Make sure to do everything in your hands

When you know you’ve checked off every item on the list, you get a sense of satisfaction. Something didn’t work out the way you had planned. What are your options now? Consider every option available to you for making a better, healthier decision right now.

 

And approach this with a cheerful mindset. We are all prone to making mistakes from time to time; some of us more severely than others, but whatever is done is done.

 

What insights does this provide you? How do you make sure you don’t make the same error twice?

 

By accepting responsibility for your errors and making a conscious effort to learn from them, you can successfully transform a terrible incident into something that will significantly enhance your life and the lives of those around you going forward.

 

4. See the goodness in yourself

You know, we have this obsession with giving more energy to the negative and to the fault. It’s likely that you have led a very fulfilling life. You wouldn’t have made many mistakes, but we are so hard on ourselves that the times we make the correct decisions seem inconsequential to us.

Recall all the instances in your life when you helped someone, did what you wanted to do, said the appropriate things, listened to others appropriately, and lived up to your personal ideals.
I’ll say this again, you are much more than the mistakes that you have made. Intentionally or unintentionally, whatever happened, you have realized your fault now and you need to release the guilt that you’re carrying. You must be able to forgive yourself.

 

5. Remember that you’re human

People are not flawless. Despite your best efforts, you are not going to be flawless. Your effort and commitment to become the best version of yourself will set you apart. You will be characterized by what you decide to do in the wake of your error, not by the mistake itself, even if you make mistakes or do something you didn’t intend to do.

 

There are no guarantees in life. Not even the finest among us can live up to our own expectations. You don’t have to endure such great suffering due of your mistakes. You must be dedicated to getting better and becoming better. To let go and grow.