Don’t Judge Yourself By Your Past, You Don’t Live There Anymore

How many times a day do you remember the past? How much time do you spend analyzing what you did, what you stopped doing, or what you could have done better? And, above all, how much destructive criticism is there in these thoughts about a time that no longer exists? Don’t judge yourself for your past, you don’t live there anymore.

Most of us are in the habit of reminiscing about our past experiences, actions, and decisions frequently. However, unfortunately, we do not do it from love, but from a perspective, many times, ruthless. We scrutinize our past with a magnifying glass, highlighting each failure and applying a demand for perfection that is as cruel as it is unrealistic.

Why are we so little self-pitying? The reality is that we are not aware of the damage we do to ourselves. We think that by critically analyzing our past we are learning something from it. We believe that by constantly regretting or blaming ourselves for what happened we are paying a debt. However, the greatest learning comes when we stop judging our past self and reconcile ourselves to it.

Don’t judge yourself for your past

Do not blame yourself

Guilt is our ego’s most powerful tool to keep us anchored to the past. We feel guilty for hurting someone, for allowing ourselves to be hurt, for not making better decisions. We wonder how we could have acted that way and continually reproach ourselves for not having done better.

However, before falling into guilt, always remember that you did the best you could. You couldn’t have acted differently with your level of consciousness at the time. What you did was the only thing you could do with what you knew back then, with what you were and the circumstances you were in.

Now, with the perspective of the years and the accumulated experience, it is easy for you to find alternatives. But clarity always comes after lessons, not before.

If you are now able to see the past from another angle, it is precisely thanks to your previous mistakes. Celebrate your awareness, but do not fall into the trap of blaming yourself: today you know what you did not know then, you did what you could.

Do not regret

On the other hand, regret is also an emotion that enslaves. It is highly commendable to regret having harmed someone, or even ourselves, as long as this is accompanied by a consistent performance. That is, ask for forgiveness, make amends for the damage and extract learning.

What is the use of constantly denying what happened? Why invest our energy in getting frustrated and wishing it never happened? That is not possible anymore. Therefore, remember that in reality all those experiences gave you lessons that have made you who you are. It is your story, with the mistakes, failures and stumbles that has brought you here. Be grateful for what you have learned and move on.

Do not condemn yourself

Finally, keep in mind that every day you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself and that your past does not define who you are today. If you made a mistake, that doesn’t make you a failure or a bad person.

Did you try and fail? That does not imply that you will fail again. If in the past you were selfish, or unable to set limits, it does not mean that this is your immovable nature. Stop defining and condemning yourself for who you were. Don’t judge yourself for a past you no longer live in.

Do not judge yourself, reconcile with yourself

Ultimately, it is time to learn to look with compassion on the person we were. Surely you hurt and allowed yourself to be hurt; Probably, if you could go back with the knowledge that you now possess, you would change many of your past performances. However, forgive yourself, understand yourself, and look with love at your previous version.

Remember, above all, that experiences are lessons and not sentences. Integrating our history and everything that happened in it is essential to feel free to create a new path. Guilt, regrets and constant self-criticism tie us to those painful moments, condemn us to live permanently in a time that has passed.

Reconcile with yourself and allow yourself to move on ; now you are ready to work to be a different person. You no longer live in your past, integrate it, learn from it and continue.