Rebooting into the present & letting regrets go.
I'm making a pledge today to accept the entirety of my past, good or bad or bland, and bless it every day since it brought me to where I am today. I pledge to live in the logic that whatever humble comforts I have and whatever good has come my way, it has all sprung out of my messy past...like clear water from the depths of an old, dark well.
So that's what I'm gonna focus on and bear in mind. Not saying it's gonna be easy, but I'm pledging to give it a go and give it my best.
Regrets get us nowhere. Judgments are for losers. Poverty of spirit burdens others while soiling us. But accepting and loving ourselves fully is the only golden opportunity to fully loving others.
God bless you all.
Present Valley
I will join you in your pledge.
I have often said if I was going to have a tombstone it would say, “She lived a messy life and was a better person for it.” Accepting my messy life makes it so much easier to accept others.
I completely believe my choices, decisions and experiences have made me the woman I am today.
Letting go and self forgiveness soften the sting of regrets and makes self-love easier to practice.
From there loving others is a short distance.
Wilsons Grave
Your support in this pledge is much appreciated. Sounds like you've been here, so surely you know it's no hop skip and a jump to letting go. Judging others is now going to be like looking in my mirror. If I catch myself, I'll reflect on what part of me I'm judging. If I feel hostile toward another, I'll assume there's some underlying hostility toward myself for similar reasons. Getting to that would be a revelation about what I haven't yet gotten over or forgiven in myself.
Well Street
In my experience, self-forgiveness and acceptance of the past seem to ebb and flow like the tides. Sometimes I feel I've made it to that place, and other times the voices of self-blame and spite return with their toxic chatter.
Your pledge resonates, is concise, and something I can return to when needed.
Thank you!
Wilsons Grave
I like your analogy. When the tide recedes, there's clamshells, driftwood, and other half-buried sea life that gets revealed. It's a calmer moment and a good time to look at the debris that's stuck beneath. Thanks for your support.
Slipstream
I appreciate you sharing your pledge. I think most of us go through the woulda, coulda, shoulda from time to time. Focusing on the positive of our past mistakes, and the learning and growth that came from them, feels much better than the self-inflicted pain. Thanks, and I support you in your pledge.
Wilsons Grave
In a way, it's a master class in humility. We look at our mistakes and say, really? And then we say, yuck! But then over time it finally hits us and we say, yikes, that really taught me something good--it was purposeful even if it was messy. Glad to have you support this pledge.
Evangel
Thank you for your courageous and honest pledge. I am here to support you!
My view is that in accepting and loving ourselves fully we must also accept our weaknesses and flaws without cursing them. So in that regard, I agree self-recrimination is not useful.
We've also all learned that apologizing to those we've hurt helps us process our related regrets. But how does one begin to apologize for the hurtful actions taken against oneself? How does one remediate that? I am thinking about Rep. Eric Swalwell. How can he not regret the behaviors that led to his stunning fall from grace? That said, I fully agree that it's impossible to fully love others if we cannot accept our own shortcomings.
Wilsons Grave
That's a good question. I think people know when they're acting against themselves, and they shouldn't do it. They do it anyway because they're needy, spoiled, or feel entitled. But they're not walking the path of righteousness. They know it deep down. They just don't think there will be consequences, and when they come, they become crybabies and blame everyone else. From there, it'll be a long haul to awakening, taking responsibility, and self-forgiveness. Thanks for holding me to my pledge.