We have all felt since we were young that we need to measure up to something, someone or this imagined version of ourselves that we havenโt aspired to yet and when we fall short, we tend to blame ourselves for the โcoulda, woulda, shouldaโ scenarios.
Then dragging these emotions along with us as we continue to navigate through our lives like a โbig old ball and chain,โ known as extra baggage.
When we let the actions of our past determine our future and label ourselves as something that we once were, we withhold the true freedom and happiness we deserve.
And so, with each moment in your life where you are holding onto guilt, regret or shame, always remember:
1. You are not the person you were in the past
We are not the same people as we were yesterday, and the way that we think about ourselves truly determines the outcomes of our future. While a period of reflection can be beneficial, dwelling on the past causes us to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
By forgiving yourself for the things you have done or not done; said or not said, you give yourself your own keys to freedom. Nothing can buy freedom, and no one can give it to you.
Freedom is a gift that you give to yourself, and you are overdue.
2. You never stop growing
When we understand that our outer world is a reflection of our inner mind frame, then we can accurately determine why exactly it is, that we find ourselves in different relationships, situations and lifestyles.
By listening to ourselves and feeling what is right within our own hearts, we have found the greatest tool we will ever need.
Our hearts are our greatest compass and will always steer us due north. When you can find the courage to always follow your heart, although many times it may break, you allow for real and pure spiritual growth and it will always deliver you to the path that you ultimately seek.
3. You will heal
The first step in healing is recognizing that there is something that needs to be healed. Once you have recognized the pattern of behaviour that is manifesting within your own life, you can then determine its source of origin.
Quite simply, it is what we have yet to heal within ourselves that we attract in our physical reality. Thus, each time someone comes into your life it is a lesson, a reflection of yourself and what you are mirroring into the world that you need to recognize and heal.
As such, we will continue to manifest the same relationship archetypes that reflect a wounded compartmentalized emotion that is buried deep within our psyche, and until we can heal ourselves, this cycle will continue.
This is when you will be faced with an important choice. Either accept and heal or reject and bury. By rejecting your pain, the cycle will continue and by accepting your pain, the cycle ends and begins anew.
When you can place your disposition in a state of acceptance, you give yourself space for consciousness to evolve. Consciousness, being the quintessence of the All; the natural state of light, love and life.
This article 3 Incredibly Easy Ways to Love and Accept Yourself was originally published here on October 31, 2015.
