by Pamela Gentry

Created on: May 14, 2009

How often have you done or said something that you wish you could take back? Because going back in time is not a possibility, you can't change what you already did. You may find yourself feeling miserable and riddled with guilt. Negative feelings like these can rob you of the joy of the present moment. Whether what you did was right or not, punishing yourself will not change what has already been done. You must learn from this experience and simply move on.

Here are a few ways to help rid your heart of the negative feelings of guilt and regret.

Face Your Guilt Head On

Some people try to run from their guilty feelings by using drugs or alcohol to make themselves feel better. This will not absolve these feelings; it will only create a temporary feeling of happiness, which will disappear when the high wears off.

Forgive Yourself and Embrace Your Humanity

True peace can only be found through having a compassionate and forgiving heart. Be as kind and forgiving to yourself as you hopefully would be to someone else that you love. If you weren't a kind and sentient being, you would have no remorse in the first place.

Absolutely no one is perfect. Realize this, and let the truth of it sink into your being. Humans have been making mistake after mistake since the beginning of time. You are after all, only human.

Ask Forgiveness of Those Involved

Though you might find it difficult, confessing your feelings of regret toward the person which you have wronged is the best way to free yourself from the chains of guilt.

Understandably, you may be afraid that doing so will only make the situation worse. In some cases this could be true, especially if the person that you have wronged has no idea of your indiscretion toward them. However, if you choose to hold in these negative feelings and not tell the other person, you may find it more difficult to forgive yourself, by being afraid that your dirty little secret may come back to haunt you down the road.

Show that You Care

Is there something that you can do to make the situation better? You may not be able to fix what you did, but there is always something kind and thoughtful that you could do for the other person? Doing good deeds for others shows them that you care, and improves your karma of the situation.

Learn From Your Mistake

If you are truly feeling regret about something that you have said or done, make every effort not to repeat this same mistake again! Any other choice is self-sabotaging. Live your life by making a point to follow what is right in your heart.

Connect With Your Spirit

Many times the guilt or anxiety that you may be feeling cannot be absolved until you ask a higher power to take it from you. Get in touch with your spiritual nature by praying or meditating. Ask the powers that be for forgiveness, and accept the feeling of peace that can be found through this type of a connection, and know that you are truly worthy of it.

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