Forgiveness of Self

No one is perfect in this life... we all have done things which we are not proud of and would like to turn the clock back if we had the opportunity. Whether we have done or said something with intent or not, or if we have inadvertently hurt someone by our words or our actions, it can leave us feeling with a sense of guilt and remorse.

There are so many situations in life that perhaps we feel that we could have acted differently or in a better way. It could have been down to our immaturity, our psychological or spiritual state of being or due to some life event or experience that we have gone through.

Regardless of the situation or what we have done, there comes a time when we need to find forgiveness for our words or our actions. Sometimes, forgiveness is not possible, as those whom we have hurt may not be able to forgive, either because they remain resentful  or they may have moved away and no longer be in our lives or they may even have died.

Life is a journey and as we grow and experience all that life has to offer, we mature and see things in a different light. It is only by reflecting on our lives that we sometimes feel a sense of wrongdoing on our part and a need to put things right. Harbouring onto guilt is not a good thing as it will damage us on a physical, psychological and spiritual level, which can have a dramatic impact on our well-being and future lives. Such impacts can lead to ill health and leave us in a perpetual state of limbo where we are unable to move on with our life and we become trapped in a never ending cycle of negativity.

In my experience, the first step towards healing is forgiveness of self... This may be very difficult to grasp as we may not feel worthy of forgiveness due to our past actions or words, but by forgiving self, it is only then that we can move on with our lives, be better people and strive to act differently in the future. By forgiving self, we learn to live in the present moment rather than living in the past, giving us a renewed sense of purpose to change and improve and to build on our experience rather than being held back by what we have said or done... Emotions often play a significant role with any form of guilt. We may feel angry, upset, resentful, fearful, or even vulnerable. It is usually these negative emotions which fuels our lack of forgiveness and therefore if we accept them for what they are and not dwell on them, perhaps we will be able to move on with our lives.

This entry does appear to be rather 'heavy' in nature, and perhaps rightly so as it is something which can have serious implications on our individual lives. I feel blessed in many ways, but mainly due to my belief and faith in God which helps me through much of the darker aspects of self. I feel blessed because in my heart of hearts I know that there is forgiveness to those who are sincere for their wrongdoings and wish to put things right.

Life is very precious and short in duration... I believe that we all need to stop living in the past and live more in the present moment. We need to learn from our mistakes and try not to replicate them and lead better lives where we can demonstrate love through our words and our actions. Living in a perpetual state of negativity from our past mistakes is a waste of that life and we are worth so much more than that ;-) x