Perhaps, just maybe, you are like me and get easily frustrated with yourself. I just want to do well and excel in all the areas. After all, perfect is what we’re striving to become, right?! But just maybe… I seem to forget that perfection isn’t meant for this life. In fact, the word perfection in the scriptures actually means whole. I’ve learned that my spirit certainly knows what I’m capable of (AKA my potential), but still, my imperfect human mind doesn’t always reach that potential on the first, second, or even the tenth time.
When I was in high school, I had this dream of going to college (like most) and getting my degree in four years or less to become an elementary school teacher. It sounded like the “perfect plan”. I worked hard as a student in high school, and I had this dream picked out from the time I was seven years old. As time progressed, my professional dream started to feel like it was the wrong one.
I decided to switch my major to communications, resulting in several extra semesters from my original plan. From spending many semesters working full-time while taking one or two classes here and there, it ended up taking me a whopping seven years to get my associates degree.
While working on my bachelor’s degree in journalism, I started to experience extreme depression and anxiety that became debilitating to my attendance in school. I knew that school was in the cards for me…but yet I experienced so much shame when seeing others graduating and getting on with their life while I was still trying to gather up the pieces from what felt like my broken life. That shame built up and started to tear my self-esteem apart, creating this limiting belief that I wasn’t enough.
Looking back, these were lies from Satan. This was the way it was meant to happen because this is the way it did happen. Our paths are so unique for a purpose. That is a gift!
HOW TO FORGIVE YOURSELF:
- Every single night I make a list of the things I didn’t do quite perfectly.
- I repent over it (because repentance is what creates change in us).
- Then I say “ I forgive myself for_______” while placing my hand over my heart.
- I LOVE using the forgiveness essential oil on my heart while I say these. This is one of the best ways to create more self-love and less self-criticism.
WHY FORGIVE YOURSELF:
The lack of forgiveness holds us back from moving forward in life, especially the lack of forgiving yourself. As you choose to forgive yourself, you’re playing into a piece of self-compassion which allows you to actually deal and feel with what is in front of you rather than beating yourself up, which really is holding you back more than you might suspect.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “what you resist persists”. It’s SUPER true! When you’re resisting to accept what you have done in the past or the fact that you simply aren’t “whole” and “perfect” just yet, the more the problem you’re currently facing will become harder to overcome.
Forgiving yourself is saying you accept the atonement of your Savior, Jesus Christ and you recognize that it covers you in all things. To forgive yourself is actually saying you ready to stop living in the past and move forward. You are more than enough and forgiving yourself gives you the power to have another chance rather than attracting that same experience to come into your life once again.
I made a free printable for you so you can keep the steps to forgiving yourself easily in your journal!
