Guilt is an endless loop, a broken record, which keeps replaying the same song, a tune, which we can’t stand, but feel powerless to turn off. In all its forms, guilt is self-destructive, emotionally painful and an unnecessary waste of time and energy. While it may be true that many of us have done some reprehensible things, which can understandably weigh heavily on our conscious, the past is the past and there is no justification to continue punishing ourselves. We should never give or accept the gift of guilt, deserved or otherwise, to or from another. To try and make another person feel guilty, for any reason, is spiritual blackmail.
If we want to let go of guilt, realize that no one, including us, is perfect and even the poor choices we may have made, have still helped mold us into the strong, resilient, spiritual people we are today. We are all works in progress, growing and changing constantly. We are not the same people we were ten years, five years, even one year ago. Many of the choices we have made in the past, we would never make today, but If we understand that there are no accidents or missteps in life and in time, all accounts will be balanced anyway, then what is there to feel guilty about? Accept and acknowledge that ‘all’ feelings are part of the human experience, including emotional guilt. Feelings should never be repressed, nor should we hold on tightly to them, but learning to let them go after we have experienced them is the art of life.
As we grow spiritually and come into a greater understanding, we will come to realize that to move forward, we will have no choice, but to forgive ourselves for anything and everything that happened in the past. We must live completely in and for the present. Guilt can only be replaced by trust in the universe and by releasing the anchor of guilt, we will find that it is easier to rise higher in consciousness, taking another big step towards a freer, more meaningful, joyful life. It is far wiser and more enjoyable to spend our time and energy loving ourselves, then squandering our life in self-condemnation.
So true! Well said!🙏😍