Guilt isn’t always a rational thing; it’s a weight that will crush you whether you deserve it or not.
Guilt is the price we pay when our behavior violates one of our learned ideals or beliefs. The symptoms range from minor emotional discomfort to substantial feelings of self-doubt and despair, and thus it’s one of the most common reasons people seek coaching or therapy, since they can’t let go of the guilt they feel.
Excess guilt is one of the heaviest and unhealthiest weights a person can hold. It’s like strapping an extra 100+ pounds to your forehead and trying to go about your day. Fortunately, just as a change in how you approach your body can help shed excess body weight (i.e. eating healthy and exercising), a change in how you approach your thoughts can help you shed excess guilt.
If you feel like you’re carrying around excess guilt right now, here are some simple reminders to help you let go and ease your mind:
- A guilty, suffering spirit is far more open to love and grace than an uncaring or smug soul. So, in a backwards way, it’s good news if you’re feeling like you’ve done wrong – it means you actually care to be better than you have been. And starting now, you can be.
- Guilt is not a response to other people’s sadness or anger; it’s a response to your own actions or lack thereof, and it can be positive. If guilt leads to change then it can be useful, since it’s then no longer just guilt but the beginning of knowledge and growth. That’s the key – channeling your initial feelings of guilt into positive action. Let the way you feel change the way you live. [Read more…]