The Three Most Effective Ways To Forgive Yourself

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Why is it always much easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves?  It seems as if we punish ourselves for the simplest thing.  All the while forgiving others that have done much worse to us.  So how can we go about forgiving ourselves as easily as we forgive others?  In this article I will show you the three most effective ways to forgive yourself.  OK, lets dive in.

 

First, we need to accept within ourselves that we are not perfect and therefore are destined to screw up every now and again.  Not forgiving ourselves is thinking somehow that we are superior to everyone else.  I believe in having high standards, but arrogance and pride will destroy you.  Accepting responsibility is taking a naked look at ourselves, seeing the good, the bad and the ugly.  As uncomfortable as it may be, making mistakes today helps us to make better decisions tomorrow.     

 

Second, as you self forgive, you must accept total responsibility for what happened.  Mistakes happen, and when it happens to you, be open and honest about it.  Being responsible for what we do is a true sign of character.   Don’t run and hide when you make mistakes.  If you do, reconciliation may never occur.   Instead, talk with the parties affected to see if peace and trust can be restored.  Don’t be afraid.  Doing the right thing when it is uncomfortable builds confidence and inner strength within us.

 

And lastly, we must learn from the incident and don’t repeat it.  I know it may be painful.  I know it may have caused many sleepless nights.  But if you will learn from those mistakes, you turn your negative into a positive.  We must not allow making mistakes to condemn us.  Assess yourself, really be honest.  If you had the opportunity to relive the incident, would you change anything? 

 

If you are truly sorry and would not do it again, not forgiving yourself is condemning an innocent man. 

 

Making mistakes can make you feel unworthy of forgiveness.  Being mindful to exercise the steps above can eliminate those feelings.  In order to be as successful as you would like to be, you must be willing to forgive those who have done you wrong.  And even though it’s more difficult to forgive ourselves, we must do so to have the happy, joyful life that we all desire.

 

Thank you for reading this article.  I hope you now have a few new ideas to help you fight against unforgiveness.  If this article has helped you in any way, please visit my blog and leave a comment.

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***Feel free to leave a comment if you have an opinion about the post above.***

3 comments - What do you think?   Posted by Demond - May 3, 2009 at 4:20 PM

Categories: Forgiveness  Tags:

3 Responses to “The Three Most Effective Ways To Forgive Yourself”

  1. Maeve says:

    I had a car accident because my wing mirror was fogged up and stopped for a while before panicking anddriving away- of course I should have faced my mistake at the time but didn’t. I have gone to the police and lied that I left a note and didn’t hear anything. Nothing was reported. What should I do? YOu mention that you need to face your mistakes? Can I never be forgiven?

  2. Demond says:

    Hi Maeve, the first thing I need to stress is that we all make mistakes and fail to do the right thing at times. In your particular situation, if possible, you need to make things right with the owner of the car.

    Every action can be forgiven, but it will require the courage to seek the other person and ask for that forgiveness. Sometimes the person we’ve wronged isn’t easily accessible and we carry the burden of trying to forgive ourselves.

    Just based on the tone of your note, it seems as if you are really troubled by this. Unfortunately, it will continue to plague you until you correct the thing you did wrong. Whoever you hit will probably wonder why it took you so long to come forward; but reaching out to them is absolutely necessary for you to secure the forgiveness you seek.

    I believe you can and will do the right thing.

  3. Maeve says:

    The trouble is I can’t remember the number of their car and I askedthte priest at the church nearby to announce it but nobody came forward- the whole thing has made me suicidal

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