Tips on Forgiving Yourself

Often, we feel guilt and shame we feel for hurting others. We can get so caught up in these feelings that we lack the motivation to move on.

To begin forgiving yourself, it is important to accept the fact that you are not perfect. Embrace your humanity and the fact that you make mistakes. The resulting humility is necessary for change.

If you are addicted to guilt, take a look at this. By this I mean that some people wear guilt and shame like a comfortable old coat. It kind of looks bad and smells funny, but it is familiar. Professionals are not sure why people cling to guilt and shame. Many religions stress doing penance as a virtue, so maybe such people are just trying to make up for what they have done by bearing the burden of guilt and shame longer than necessary.