As humans, we inevitably make mistakes at multiple times in our lives. Some mistakes are more unforgettable than others. What happens when you do something you immediately regret? Something that you find to be unforgivable?
Stop! Don’t answer that. Here’s what you need to do: you need to forgive yourself anyway. That’s right, you read that right. It’s time for you to stop beating yourself up, realize we all make superbad even unforgivable mistakes, forgive yourself anyway, and move on.
Here’s what you need to do in five steps:
Acknowledge what you did.
When we do something that feels unforgivable sometimes it’s tough to acknowledge that thing. No one wants to be the bad guy and people tend to see themselves as the hero of their own story. The first step to moving on from any situation and forgive yourself for a wrongdoing is to first acknowledge exactly what you did wrong and why you did it.
Realize how you have grown from the situation.
Next, it’s time to become a better person as a result of what happened. No matter what it is that you did, it could be the worst thing imaginable, but if you become a better person as a result, then you are creating something good out of a bad situation. When you look back on the mistakes of your “past self”, forgiveness is much easier.
Decide what your value system is.
Now that you have learned from your mistake and grown as an individual, here comes the hard work. You must write a new value system for yourself. A value system that you vow never to break again. This is the beginning of the path that is going to inevitably change you for the better.
Become a different person than you were when you made the mistake.
Once you have accomplished all of the above, it’s safe to say that you have now become a different person as a result of this situation. Use the knowledge that you have gained to help others not make the same mistakes that you have. Remember, sometimes good things come wrapped in back packages and vice versa.
Make the choice to love yourself anyway.
Like everything else in your life, love and forgiveness are choices you must make. The truth of the matter is that if you do not love and forgive yourself, you cannot really grow as a person. You cannot learn from your mistake or help others from making the same mistake. It’s time to move on and only YOU can make the choice do just that.
Forgiving yourself is the hardest thing to do. but remember, we all make mistakes in our lives. It’s what you choose to do with that mistake that is going to define what happens next. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things you can do to be able to move on with your life.
Related Articles: How to Know When it’s Time to Let Go of the Past and Forgive Yourself
How Forgiveness Can Change Your Life and Make You a Stronger Person
©Love Wide Open
There certainly is a reason I stumbled upon your website again at this EXACT MOMENT … I need to listen to some hard truths today & be kind to myself. Thank you. Namaste
Happy to hear that you are connecting with the content. Sending lots of love and light. ~Heidi