Guilt? Let it Go

One of the most disruptive human emotions to live with is “guilt”. It can be quite burdensome and cause you great distress. Guilt can also spur you to make poor life choices, and perhaps move you in a direction that works against your core beliefs, causing you to fight with your inner-self.

Guilt shows up for many different reasons. It can come from disappointments; failures of your personal expectations. Perhaps there is a mistake you’ve made or a wrong-doing. Maybe you offended someone or misspoke.

Another type of guilt is “false guilt”. It’s guilt misplaced on you, by others. It’s when someone tries to shame you into doing something against your free-will or your beliefs, for their personal gain. You may even have been blamed or punished for something another person thought was wrong. Regardless of where it comes from, guilt and shame can tie your insides into knots. It’s an ugly emotion, a demon that lives within when allowed to fester.

Guilt is a form of non-forgiveness and promotes self-pity. Don’t let your pride stand in the way of moving forward. You cannot undo the past. Yes, take responsibility. If you can right a wrong, then do so. If you can apologize, then do so. Know that you can only take responsibility for your own actions. Don’t become obsessed with this feeling of guilt and allow it to take over or control you. Set yourself free, for there is no need to continue punishing yourself. Staying true to what you believe is not being riotous; it’s being of sound mind.

With this being said, you do not have to live with this ugly emotion, named “guilt”. It can only make matters worse. When you know and understand where it’s coming from, you then can grab hold of it, and turn it into self-growth and a lesson learned. You are human and humans make mistakes. Don’t dwell on the “should have”, what’s done is done. Forgive yourself; then let it go and move on.

Your inner-self knows what’s best for you…you just need to listen. Listen to what your “gut” tells you…. And to what your “heart” tells you. Stay true to your core beliefs; what feels right for you and don’t allow others to manipulate you, by trying to instill guilt in you. There is no amount of guilt worth disrupting your inner-peace.

“With the grace of your being, forgive yourself and release your guilt.
Let it lead you to change that can be useful in your day to day life.”
~ Jill Lee ~