Last week I was awake at 2am ruminating on past transgressions. Can you relate?
My ‘lovely’ brain decided it needed to review a few not-so-hot things I did or said in years prior.
It wasn’t a super long list, but it was an incriminating one.
We’ve all got ‘em. AND, it’s not who we are.
We are all more than our missteps.
Sometimes it can be hard, really hard, to let go and forgive ourselves.
Forgiving ourselves isn’t saying what we did was right.
It’s about honoring the fact that we know better and do better now.
We grow up, we get wiser and more compassionate. We learn how to communicate better.
We take things and life less seriously and people’s feelings and perspectives more seriously.
We grow kinder to others and ourselves.
To all those with a “cringe worthy moment”, you are not alone AND it doesn’t define you.
What matters now are all those moments since where you chose to show up better.
The fact that you learned from it, and choose to be better, braver, bolder, benevolent and more big-hearted today… well, that’s who you are now.
So here’s a great tip. The next time you start thinking about a past misstep, grab a pad and pen and physically write down what you learned from it.
Write down how you’ve grown wiser, more compassionate, more aware, more empathic, more responsible, more _________.
Then list 11 things you’ve done or said since that truly honor the lesson you learned.
It’s wonderful proof that the misstep is not you, but the goodness that sprang from it is you now.
To being a perfectly imperfect human who’s beautiful and brilliant.
Hugs,
AmyK
