Forgiving Yourself: The Diva’s Creed
We have all been burnt before. From the moment we learned how to handle things as kids to the time when we are old enough to know better, we get rubbed the wrong way, maligned and other things that make us feel like we did something wrong. While we find it so easy to say “forgive and forget”, this line is often translated as “forget and never learn”.
We often think of forgiveness as an action related with our external connections without realizing that the same notion applies to ourselves. I, myself, have been in a situation wherein I focused on forgiving others rather than myself first.
One example: I have always disliked how a boyfriend made me look like a fool by cheating on me. Because of this, I felt that I hated him and anything remotely related to him. I have since forgiven him for his transgression but still could not be comfortable talking to him. Now, I realize what was lacking. I have yet to forgive myself for letting him take advantage of my cluelessness.
The Diva’s Creed of Self Forgiveness
Say this to yourself whenever you feel depressed, sad or self pitying. This has always worked for me. This, for me, is the first step to forgiving others:
I (your name) forgive myself for being (insert negative adjectives here, e.g. stupid). I vow to learn from this experience and never let myself feel down for being (insert negative adjective here) again.
