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“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” ~ Lewis B. Smedes
One of the hardest things we can do is learning to forgive. I’m not talking about forgiving other people. That’s easy. I am talking about learning to forgive ourselves.
Often we are harder on ourselves than others. We are disappointed, hurt and angry that we made certain choices. We stew for days, months and even years in our misfortune and despair. I understand why. Trust me I do. I have made those same mistakes however these feelings block our opportunities and growth. It does us no good to hold on to them. Now it’s time to forgive yourself. It’s time to commit to your journey to being the best you, you can be. Here are ways you can forgive yourself:
- Here is a secret. We all make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. Including you. Accept it. “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” Alice Walker
- We play the mental tapes of these mistakes over and over to punish ourselves. STOP! Get out of mental jail and free yourself.“You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.” ~ Maya Angelou
- Stop seeing mistakes as bad errors in judgment but lessons you had to learn. Lessons that make you appreciate life and those you love. “I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences… I’m human, not perfect, like anybody else.” ~ Queen Latifah
- When you are alone mediate and focus on and forgiving yourself. Cry, laugh, jump, scream or write it out. Just get it out of your system. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~ Gautama Buddha
- See the positive in every situation. For example, if you dropped out of school you were probably dealing with something in your life. Think about it. Now you have the time or maturity to appreciate it and go back.“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.”~ Richard Bach
- Make a list of all the wonderful things going on on your life and then write a list of five things you have done for other people. Now you can see how awesome you really are. “Forgiveness is an act of self-love.” - Don Miguel Ruiz
If you are having a tough time forgiving yourself please seek the help of a medical professional. They are trained to help. There is no shame in asking for help. The shame is not doing something about it. For more information on medical professionals click here.
Don’t forget to follow the 100 Days to a Brand New You Challenge here.
The only limits you have in life are the ones you put on yourself. Think and be limitless.
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