Thursday, September 15, 2011

Learning to Forgive Yourself

Sometimes, when a personal event has happened in my life that I haven’t been happy with – such as handling a situation in a certain way, as an example – it can sometimes get the better of me and stew in my mind. I beat myself up about it; even though, a few hours down the track, I realize I can’t change it, and I KNOW that I should just learn from it and leave it alone.
It comes back to forgiveness.  Forgiveness of myself.
Forgiving others can sometimes be easier than forgiving ‘YOU’.  When you forgive others you can find peace and move on.
But if you don’t reflect, acknowledge and forgive yourself, sometimes without even knowing it you are beating yourself up over and over again. This can be witnessed in certain actions or behaviours that could stem back to something you haven’t forgiven yourself for.  Your subconscious has been eating on it.
When you love someone, you forgive. Love starts with yourself, so are you treating yourself with the same compassion and respect? Are you allowing yourself to learn from it and move on?
Here’s a nice little exercise that I have found helpful.  Why not start today by acknowledging the feelings.
Sit in your own quiet, sacred place and say out loud “I love you dear memory”.
With no judgement, look at the feeling and see the positive side it has brought you. For every negative there is a positive – the way of life.  Perhaps that memory has made you stronger in some way, as an example.
Then love and thank the memory. Finally, release it.
You deserve your own compassion and self respect; just as you give to others and / or your loved ones. What steps are you going to take today to forgive yourself?

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