The Secret to a Happy Life: Forgiving Yourself to Move Forward in Life

“We all make mistakes, don't we? But if you can't forgive yourself, you'll always be an exile in your own life.” - Curtis Sittenfeld

Isn't it right? When you dwell on your past mistakes, you don't seem to move forward. You see yourself stuck in the same place as the years pass by, yet for you, the time seemed to be stuck. When you can't move on with your life after you have realized your past mistakes, then that means you aren't able to forgive yourself.

You are a human being, and all human beings make mistakes, but that doesn't mean that you are a bad person, someone who doesn't deserve forgiveness. You shouldn't be so harsh on yourself and let the past slide; things happen, you break hearts; once you realize your mistake, you should try to forgive yourself. If you can't, then you can read forgive me for my sins and try to bring yourself to self-forgiveness.

“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn't know before you learned it.” — Maya Angelou

Sometimes you don't even know what you are doing is going to hurt someone very badly. There are some mistakes that you make unintendedly. With no intention to hurt someone's feelings yet you end up being the reason behind their tears. Sometimes you don't know what would hurt someone, but when you learn the lesson, it's time to forgive yourself.

Moving on with your life when you have hurt someone isn't easy; sometimes, you feel like a part of you is stuck in guilt. Due to those feelings, you keep thinking about the mistakes you made and didn't move forward. You just aren't able to let go of that anger and guilt but do you know that it's better to choose peace? It's better to learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself so that you can live with peace by your side. That's what the author of the book forgive me for sins tells its readers to learn and forgive.

Forgiving yourself isn't a sign of weakness but rather shows your strength, whether it is forgiving others or yourself. You know that the past can't be changed, but the future can be made. With resenting, you won't be able to shape your future in a better way. You have to move past the mistakes, and there are four ways to forgive yourself.

The 4R's of forgiving yourself
• Responsibility
• Remorse
• Restoration
• Renewal

You should accept responsibility

Forgiving yourself isn't just about moving forward and never looking back at your past mistakes. It's more than that, actually; it's about accepting your responsibility. You should accept your mistake and show compassion to yourself.
The number one rule said by the author of the forgive me for my sins, to accept your mistakes. Take responsibility for your actions. Accept what you did hurt someone else's feeling; we know it's tough to acknowledge your own mistakes, its always easy to point out other's mistakes, right? Well, this strategy isn't going to work here. Taking responsibility for your actions will make you learn and become a better person for the future. It will also help you avoid emotions of hidden guilt.

You should express remorse

When you take responsibility for your actions, then there comes the guilt and shame feeling. It's good, though, because if you took responsibility but didn't feel anything like that, it can indicate negativity inside you. According to the author of forgive me for my sins, when you have hurt someone or done something bad, it's normal for you to feel bad, but don't let that feeling of remorse make you feel unworthy. Such feelings, when not resolved, can make you depressed. So, don't think that just because you hurt someone and feel guilty, you are an unworthy person.

You should restore the trust you broke

As said by the author of forgive me for my sins, you should repair the damage you caused. Try to make amends with the person you hurt, as it counts in forgiving yourself. To move forward, you should apologize to them see how you can make it up to them. This way, the person you have hurt will hurt less, and you wouldn't have to wonder if you could have done something for them in the future. The guilt of not making it up to them won't linger around you.

You should focus on renewal

When you make a mistake, you trip into guilt, shame, and self-hatred. That can be damaging for you, so that's why the author of forgive me for my sins focuses on forgiving yourself. It's a journey of learning and growing as a person. See why you did what you did and ask yourself how you could prevent it from happening in the future? This will help you in rebuilding yourself and making the right choices.
So, read forgive me for my sins and forgive yourself before you start dwelling in the past and get stuck there.


“In order to heal, we must first forgive … and sometimes the person we must forgive is ourselves.” – Mila Bron