That icky feeling when you mess up, that relentless company that never leaves when you’re desperately trying to get to sleep, guilt. Like running full speed through mud, guilt subtly yet emphatically slows you down when you’re desperate to make progress.
Guilt rears its head up when we do something wrong or thinkwe’ve done something wrong. It’s like a weight crushing down on your mind. The longer you carry it, the harder it is to move at all, least of all forward.
Guilt can trick you into highlighting negatives in your mind that would normally not get any attention at all. Everyone makes mistakes, we all know it, yet don’t allow ourselves the ability to err; certainly not learn from our errors. It’s far easier to beat ourselves up at nauseum. Guilt, gone unchecked in our minds, can quickly slap a noose around your future, specifically zeroing in on progress in the form of fear.
Guilt is a catalyst for fear. Guilt burrows when we allow it to. So then what do we do?
First, acknowledge whether the guilt is truly founded or a result of that natural, self-destructive bend that so many of us regularly deal with.
Second, if it is founded, find gratitude inside the experience – you just learned something! Choose to accept this growth, give yourself to move past it. If it is not founded, choose to no longer give it a place in your mind. Yes! This is where the success of freedom from guilt takes form, a decision. Then, once it’s made, buy into it. Believe it. Mentally sit down in it, as, the way it is; I learned, am smarter and will move on without repeating the experience.
Guilt can only own you if you allow it to. You have a stronger mind than you know. Make your choice!
