Forgiving Yourself

Forgiving yourself. 

I'm not very good at this. I seem to do a better job of beating myself up over something I have  either done or not done depending on the case. However, being able to forgive yourself and move on is critical for growth. 

Elisha Goldstein, in 7 Things Mindful People Do Differently uses the phrase, "forgive and invite," to clarify this point. After forgiving ourselves we need to investigate what has stood in our way, and then, "invite ourselves to begin again."

In my life this seems to always boil down to the same thing; maintaining my weight loss. I am hard on myself as I find my eating habits spinning out of control once again. Chocolate and chips seem to be calling my name. 

I don't afford myself much grace when it comes to being imperfect. What I found encouraging, though, about her words was the idea of inviting myself to begin again. Remember as a child how exciting it was to get an invitation? If my attitude about starting over again is met with the enthusiasm of an invitation, then it might just be the motivation I need. Whatever needs forgiving in your life may be as simple as accepting the forgiveness and inviting yourself to begin again.