The forgiving oneself session was led by Lidya Yohannes, an intelligent empath ready to plunge into an interactive exchange about what forgiving oneself is. Once we all settled into our circle of seats, she asked us what self-forgiveness entails for each of us. The conversation created an environment where we could delve deeper and explore beyond the superficial aspects.

We learned that forgiving yourself is a deeply personal and emotional journey of granting oneself the understanding, compassion, and love we deserve by mustering up the courage to confront the parts of oneself that may feel flawed, unworthy, or broken. By neglecting to address our guilt and shame, we perpetuate a cycle that hinders our growth and self-acceptance. It becomes essential to break this pattern and actively engage with our emotions, acknowledging the misalignment between our actions and values. Only then can we begin the gradual process of healing and personal transformation.

6 steps to forgiving yourself:

1. Recall offenses that made you feel unworthy
2. Assess the damage
3. Rethink Rumination
4. Reach emotional self-forgiveness
5. Rebuild self-acceptance
6. Commit to living virtuously

Empathy is the key to forgiving others and ourselves. Empathy for the experiences of people that you may have hurt will transform your feelings of guilt and shame into motivation to repair your relationships and build healthier interpersonal bonds not despite your failures but because of them.

Major Takeaways

• Forgiving oneself yields several advantages, including heightened productivity, reduced cognitive dissonance, diminished imposter syndrome, improved physical health, and a strengthened positive self-perception.
• Engaging in practices such as positive self-talk, writing apology notes to oneself and others, and breathing exercises can support and facilitate the journey of self-forgiveness and self-love.
• Exposing unrealistic expectations and standards for ourselves, and learning to accept ourselves as flawed and valuable part of society is crucial.

By Lidya Yohannes, Membership Relations Manager at AWiB