Forgiving others is something we’ve been taught we should do since we were children, but it’s not until much later in life do we come across the concept of forgiving ourselves.
The ability to forgive ourselves is just as important as forgiving others. Admitting fault in ourselves is not easy. It’s acknowledging that we’re not as perfect as we want to be or at least as perfect as we want others to see us. Taking responsibility for our actions and accepting any guilt we feel is a powerful step toward personal growth. Sometimes we may not know or understand why we did or said the things we did, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be held accountable.
When you forgive yourself, be wary about the tendency to beat yourself up about what happened. This defeats the purpose and only serves to strengthen any underlying guilt or shame you may be feeling. True forgiveness is sitting with the action and recognizing your role in the situation. If it was less than stellar, own it.
In hindsight, we can all find a thousand different ways we would have acted differently in situations, but it doesn’t mean that under the circumstances of that moment, you weren’t doing the best that you could. This doesn’t excuse the action by any means, but rather it’s understanding that we respond to situations with the skill set we have at the moment, framed by our values and mindset at that time. Cultivating self-forgiveness allows us to emerge as more loving and compassionate human beings, and by seeing ourselves and our past behaviors, choices, and words for what they were at that time, and learning from them, we can grow.
Forgiving yourself is not a Get of Of Jail Free card and in no way excuses past actions. I hope today’s focus is a reminder to include ourselves when we think about the people in our lives we want to—need to—forgive. By doing so, all of the energy that was invested in feelings of guilt, self-blame, and self-doubt, can instead, be used for more positive growth. Feeling disappointment in yourself and your actions is natural but holding onto it shouldn’t be.
#takingitdeeper #selflove #selfgrowth #forgiveness
lilypadheart 
This is good. Thank you for impressing the importance of self-forgiveness. Guilt is not healthy, and carrying things for too long can weigh so unnecessarily on and in our spirit!!
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sincerely,
melissa 🙂
http://thelandrusdiaries.wordpress.com
Hi Melissa, Thanks for stopping by and for your comment! This is a lesson I wish we were all taught at a younger age but at least bringing light and attention to it at any point in our lives is better than not at all. 🙂
I so appreciate what you have to say. For me forgiving my self is a life long process. I also believe it is hard to forgive others if we don’t forgive your self. Thank you!
You’re so welcome–and thank you for your comment. I completely agree with you, in that it is a life-long process. As we grow and change and move through our lives, the layers of our behavior and thoughts get peeled away and there is always something new to discover and forgive. Thank you so much for stopping by and for your comment!