FW: DailyOM: Permission to Forgive Ourselves - Releasing Guilt

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December

22, 2010

Permission to Forgive Ourselves

Releasing

Guilt

Guilt is temporary and

unproductive, it is all too ironic that being hard on ourselves is the easy way

out.

Learning to

accept the things that we perceive as wrong can be a difficult task for many of

us. Often we have been brought up to accept that it is normal to feel guilty

about our actions and that by doing so we will make everything seem alright

within ourselves. Even though we might feel that we have a reason to make up

for the choices we have made, it is much more important for us to learn how to

deal with them in a healthy and positive way, such as through forgiveness and

understanding.

When we can look back at our past and really assess what has happened, we begin

to realize that there are many dimensions to our actions. While feeling guilty

might assuage our feelings at first, it is really only a short-term solution.

It is all too ironic that being hard on ourselves is the easy way out.

If

we truly are able to gaze upon our lives through the lens of compassion,

however, we will be able to see that there is much more to what we do and have

done than we realize. Perhaps we were simply trying to protect ourselves or

others and did the best we could at the time, or maybe we thought we had no

other recourse and chose a solution in the heat of the moment.

Once

we can understand that dwelling in our negative feelings will only make us feel

worse, we will come to recognize that it is really only through forgiving

ourselves that we can transform our feelings and truly heal any resentment we

have about our past.

Giving ourselves permission to feel at peace with our past actions is one of

the most positive steps we can take toward living a life free from regrets,

disappointments, and guilt. The more we are able to remind ourselves that the

true path to a peaceful mind and heart is through acceptance of every part of

our lives and actions, the more harmony and inner joy we will experience in all

aspects of our lives.