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How to forgive yourself for past mistakes?

109 Answers
Last Updated: 05/03/2021 at 1:25pm
How to forgive yourself for past mistakes?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Kelly Brast, MA, LPC-S, LSOTP, CART

Licensed Professional Counselor

Life can be overwhelming sometimes. I specialize in helping people organize their thoughts, getting rid of the things holding them back, and finding a path to a better future.

Top Rated Answers
Lindsaylu
July 4th, 2016 12:20am
With every mistake in life there is always a lesson to be learned, as cliche as that sounds it rings true. I would suggest examining the past situation where the mistake was made and determine any possible lessons. A lesson can be big or small, and a small lesson is OK. It could be something like an improvement in your knowledge of life or maybe you learned something new about yourself, whatever it is, it is a valid reason to move on and forgive yourself. Remember you can't move forward in life if you are stuck on the past.
The888
April 7th, 2016 11:58am
Mistake is the best way to get success in life.
Euxine12
April 10th, 2016 11:42am
I'm no expert but I can at least say what I have learned from my past that I think can help. To forgive yourself for past mistakes, first, you have to admit that you have done that mistake and that you cannot take back time or hurt feelings whatsoever. Next, you may want to say sorry if there are people involved and that you have their feelings. After that, put to mind that you have done what you could and that you remind yourself try not to do it again, you have learned your lesson. Remember as well, that, your past should not define you and you deserve to be happy.
HawaiianAir
May 13th, 2016 10:09pm
If you've ever wondered how to forgive yourself for past mistakes, then listen to this story. I've made so many mistakes in my life, and hurt so many people, that up until a few years ago I had a really hard time forgiving myself for these mistakes. But then one day - something major happened. I lost a close friend (who I had lost touch with) to cancer. It shocked my system. I realized that I cared about him a lot, and I could no longer tell him that. My ego had gotten in the way. I think it was easier for me to try and block out past mistakes, and pretend that they never happened, rather than to deal with them head on. When you have to deal with something, you can actually process it, and then you can truly forgive yourself for making mistakes. Keep this story in mind. I hope it helps.
Anonymous
May 20th, 2016 1:43am
Say to yourself, "Will this matter in ten minutes? Ten hours? Ten day? Ten weeks? (Etc.)" and find something to distract you from the past.
Homeiswherethehopeis
May 25th, 2016 7:32am
We are all human. Therefore, we all make mistakes. Mistakes are a natural part of the process; they mean you are trying. A friend/relative would forgive, and so should you. Hope this helped :)
sunsetsmile
June 2nd, 2016 6:44am
Remind yourself that you're human and you're bound to make mistakes. And what you've done in the past doesn't define who you are today as long as you learn from your mistakes
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2016 8:09am
Accept that you are human. Everything is a learning experience and you should take it as such,the fact that you recognize your mistakes means you're growing
GauzedHeart
June 10th, 2016 7:00am
Realize everybody makes mistakes and I've definitely learned from mine and it ended up making me a better person than I was before.
zainishere
June 11th, 2016 12:30pm
At some point, you have to accept that the past has happened and you’ve done everything in your power to amend past mistakes. It’s now time to turn the page and accept those events as part of your story. They've all contributed to making you who you are. Being grateful for those experiences allows you to move on and truly forgive yourself.
Zen0
June 15th, 2016 9:54pm
We are humans, and humans make mistakes, so you can´t blame yourself for your humanity. It is part of the process of growing as an individual. We shouldn´t ignore what has happend, but always take the opportunity to learn from the past, apply the lessons in the present, to become a better person in the future.
Miranda1999
March 31st, 2016 2:35pm
I think the only way to forgive yourself for past mistakes is too accept them, and realise that its our mistakes that make us who we are. Out mistakes take us to where we are in life, whether its a good or bad place. Accept your mistakes, learn from them, and remember our mistakes are who we are!
FarahFaith66
April 7th, 2016 9:16pm
Past is in the past. We grow from our mistakes. So why not to forgive? We have to forgive ourselves for a better future, through accepting our positive traits that we have in the present.
LauraListens123
April 13th, 2016 6:57am
The past is in the past you are moving towards to future. Don't worry about what you did I the past, just know what to do in the future.
Anonymous
April 21st, 2016 4:13pm
The answer to this varies on a case by case basis, but the most important thing to remember is that things that happened in the past are just that: In the past. You need to remember that everyone makes mistakes, and accept the mistake as a learning experience.
SugarCrumbs
April 23rd, 2016 3:23pm
There should be no regrets. Don't regret what you do. Learn from mistakes and keep building an awesome and better version of yourself :)
lovelyBeauty59
April 29th, 2016 7:02pm
Everyone makes mistakes and that is completely okay. No one is perfect and messing up is a part of life.
Anonymous
April 29th, 2016 10:47pm
you are not your mistakes and if you do make a mistake then there is no problem with that. everybody makes mistakes as part of human life and they are there to help us become stronger and better ourselves
Anonymous
May 4th, 2016 5:02am
Mistakes help you learn, they teach you a lesson, so you will remember not to make that mistake ever again. Mistakes help you, it is okay to make mistakes.
faltus
May 4th, 2016 7:03am
the best way to forgive your past mistake is to focus on the present , if the past is a fear than just go to the root cause of your fear and face it , fight it . if its a shame than bravely accept it . if its a regret than just let it go . all you know is past was a history , tomorrow is a mystery all you have is today thats why its called present.....
Maskyxoxox
May 6th, 2016 5:05pm
To forgive yourself from past mistakes, you must first forgive your own mind. Forgiving yourself is tough, but you can do it. Start slow, forgiving yourself for smaller mistakes, then move into bigger mistakes. This may include forgiving others. Talking to people about the mistakes is always helpful, too.
imrohan
May 8th, 2016 2:51pm
Its necessary to understand that you cannot do anything about your past in your present, you cannot change them no matter how much you think about them. There's no point in carrying the load of your past mistakes and ruining your present. It's better to learn from them and avoid repeating them in future. So its better to forgive our self and not let our past affect your present.
Alia2
May 11th, 2016 6:32pm
It is a fact that anyone in this planet make mistakes. The most important thing to start with ; is to admit you made a mistake. Then you have to remember why you did it -was it because of you or because of someone else- , How this mistake affected your life ? , How did you deal with this ? & Finally How you will not make it again ? These are important question to answer. Just remember that every mistake is a chance to improve & be a better person.
WhereTheSunflowersAre
May 14th, 2016 5:54am
By learning to acknowledge what you have done, accept it, forgive yourself and take the proper steps to move forward.
LemonSea
May 14th, 2016 8:18am
Forgiveness is a process. It can be difficult, and trying, but try and work on positive affirmations daily, and working on the mistakes that you can change. You are a beautiful, powerful person. We all make mistakes, but your mistakes do not define you.
WhisperingMist
May 15th, 2016 8:59am
I try to remember that we are perfectly inperfect and that I am human and the way I am going to learn is by making mistakes and being accountable.
Anonymous
May 18th, 2016 7:55pm
You have to realize that you can't change the past. You aren't perfect, no one is, and you have to decide that you're going to leave the past in the past, learn from it, and continue on with your life.
Anonymous
May 21st, 2016 10:17pm
Just remind yourself that the past is in the past and that there is nothing you can do to change it so make good decisions in the present to give you a brighter future!
Anonymous
May 22nd, 2016 2:01pm
By making your today beautiful and avoid those mistakes and learn from them and when your present will become good you'll feel peaceful
HelpWisely
May 25th, 2016 3:10pm
By accepting that you are a human being and mistakes are necessary in order to learn from them so you can grow more wise and not repeat those mistakes again.