The Journey to Forgive Yourself: A Heartfelt Dive into Self-Compassion and Inner Healing

Why Holding Onto Guilt Won’t Fix the Past (And What Will)

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I once believed that forgiving myself was some mystical, out-of-reach concept — like learning to enjoy kale or understanding why people willingly go on roller coasters. It just didn’t make sense to me. Why should I forgive myself when I was the one who messed up? Shouldn’t I carry the weight of my mistakes as some sort of self-inflicted punishment?

For the longest time, I held on to guilt like a sentimental hoarder. Every regret, every wrong decision, every word I wished I could take back — I stored them all in my mental attic, collecting dust but never truly leaving. I thought if I held on tight enough, I could somehow rewrite the past or prove to myself that I was paying for my mistakes. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work like that.

One day, I had a moment of clarity. Well, more like a dramatic breakdown in the middle of my kitchen while attempting to make pancakes. I cracked an egg too aggressively, it splattered everywhere, and for some reason, that was the final straw. I sat on the floor, tears mixing with flour, and asked myself, “Why do I hold onto the past like it’s a treasure chest when it’s clearly just baggage?”