Excelling Through Shame

How many of us limit our minds to believe we are not worthy of God’s blessings due to something we did? The question I find myself asking over and over again is if God forgives me, then why can’t I seem to forgive myself? Often times, we allow guilt to hinder our growth in the physical and spiritual realm. The reason so many of us stop growing in life and allow bitterness / resentment to live in our space is because we have given into the feelings of guilt and shame. The three steps I have committed to take every day in order to live a guilt and shame free life are below:

Forgive Myself

Showing mercy on myself has been the greatest act of kindness in my healing process. I had to learn to reflect on my past with a heart filled of compassion and forgiveness rather than guilt and shame. In doing so, I released the burden of carrying the two feelings into my present moment. I realized the only way to live a happy and focused life is to actively guard my mind from holding onto shame or guilt for too long. It is normal to have these feelings, but you must remember that you are not a bad person, you just did something bad.

Prove Myself Right And Shame Wrong

The power of life and death is in my own tongue. I had to understand that I can talk myself into OR out of anything I wanted in life. What helped me get through the guilt and shame of my past was realizing that the two created an unrealistic measure of my self-worth. They created a point of separation between who I thought I should be and who I truly was. Embracing the very thing(s) that give you the feeling of shame or guilt aids in your ability to speak your truth. You must learn to accept what was so that you can live with what is.

Preserve Through Tough Times

I am strong enough to excel through any pain, shame, guilt, bitterness, loneliness…….. ANYTHING! I surround myself with people that help to remind me of this every day. Ask yourself, am I learning from my faults in order to develop a strategy for change? This is the key to perseverance. We are going to make mistakes; the most important lesson is learning how to keep going once the mistake has been made.