Jeremy Roberts5 said:I've heard "forgive yourself" plenty of times, but what does that actually mean? I can say the words, but it doesn't feel like it means anything to me...
Allow me to attempt an explanation.
To forgive yourself means to accept the reality of what transpired or what you did.
Consider this: once you shatter a glass, it remains broken; there is nothing you can do to revert it to its former state. Your only recourse is to purchase a new one.
Mistakes function in much the same way. Once they occur, they are finalized; no amount of regret will erase them as if they never existed. However, we can choose to acknowledge them as part of our truth and strive to dwell on them less, until, eventually, the thoughts cease altogether.
The sentiment I expressed is a fundamental truth: "
what could not be, simply could not be."In that specific instant when you made a mistake—assuming that is indeed what happened—it was bound to happen exactly as it did, and no other outcome was possible.
I am unsure how much you believe in destiny, but I am firmly convinced that nothing happens by mere coincidence; everything we experience serves a purpose.
We see it all the time: people flee war-torn nations seeking refuge in a free country like the United States, only to perish in a car accident shortly after arriving.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it wasn't your choice, but rather determined by the moment of your birth, the circumstances of your arrival here, and the path laid out for you.
Look at the world around us. There are individuals who have committed unspeakable evils yet never faced consequences, living comfortable lives entirely devoid of conscience. Conversely, there are those who spent their lives performing acts of pure good, helping everyone in sight, only to die prematurely in the prime of their lives. Who is to blame?
That, precisely, is what it means to forgive oneself. Honestly, I could spend days writing about this topic.
Please, continue to write; believe me, it will bring you a great deal of relief.☕
I don't know the specifics of what you did, but you were only ten years old.
Beyond that, it seems to me that your life has been a true living hell.🙂