Often, the choices you make in life seem straightforward, but later on, you realize you made a mistake. Maybe it’s a failed relationship or a lost opportunity. It’s easy to beat yourself up for past mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes that they later regret. If you’re honest with yourself, you still feel guilty about your mistakes. Maybe it’s time to stop lying to yourself about these mistakes.
Why not let go of the mistakes you made in life? Only then can you find peace in the present.
9 Signs You Need to Stop Lying to Yourself
1 – You’re lying to yourself if you can’t recognize the need for risk in life
It’s challenging to take a risk. Risks are, after all, risky–and sometimes dangerous. But some risks aren’t as threatening as others. You may regret that you didn’t take the chance to quit your job and go back to school. Or perhaps you had an excellent opportunity to go overseas, but you didn’t want to take the risk of living in another country. It’s easy to look back today and say, “Oh, I should have done that!” but at the time, your decision seemed right. Don’t beat yourself about these decisions. You made the best decision you could. Was it a mistake? Maybe. That’s probably not as important as trying to learn from the error. Let go of your aversion to risk. Live in the here and now and take more risks when they appear.
2 – You don’t see that you should have made better choices
Everyone makes bad decisions in their life. Of course, some of your choices haunt you later in life. If you experienced the consequences of the bad choices when you were young, don’t be too hard on yourself. Accept these complex consequences without feeling guilty. Learn the lessons from your wrong decision, but try to move on and let go of them. Find hope in today and the good choices you are making now.
3 – Not forgiving is a sign you should stop lying to yourself
Hindsight is always 20/ 20. It’s human nature to look back and see everything you did wrong. One mistake many people make is not to forgive others. Whether you didn’t forgive your parents or your children, you may feel differently today. If you need to ask forgiveness or forgive someone, don’t delay. Contact them right away. Don’thold on to these past mistakes. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you think what they did was okay. It means you will stop lying to yourself and let go of your unforgiveness.
4 – You fail to stand up for yourself
Perhaps you followed the crowd instead of standing up for yourself. Maybe you chose your career because your friend suggested it, or you never went to college because your parents said it was a waste of time. Be honest with yourself and let go of these decisions. Step out. Begin standing up for yourself.
5 – You’re lying to yourself when you compromise your self-worth
Fearing what others think about you is a common mistake when you’re young. You feel you want to please your friends because they care for you. Now that you’re older, you realize those people didn’t care about you as much as you thought they did. You may regret not being authentic. You wish you hadn’t cared much about what they thought of you. It’s good to see this mistake and not repeat it in your present life.
6 – You don’t see how fear robs you of your joy
Fear goes hand in hand with worry. It tells you all the bad things that will happen if you don’t do something. Fear robs you of your joy in life and keeps you from trying new things. Fear keeps you from relationships and opportunities. If you regret making decisions based on your fears, learn from your mistakes. Fear is a terrible reason not to do something. Instead, take steps to let go of these mistakes and find peace.
7 – You’re lying to yourself if you let worry take over your life
Worry steals your ability to enjoy life. It holds you captive, so you fear trying new things. Don’t give in to worry, but look for ways to trust God and others so you can live with a new sense of enjoying life.
8 – Forgetting to forgive and forget might suggest you’re lying to yourself
It’s easy for time to slip by. You may suddenly realize your opportunities to love certain people are gone. You may wish you had made better decisions about your family or friends. At the time, you weren’t as aware of how life changes as you are today. Be honest with yourself. Evaluate who you should spend more time with today so you won’t have regrets in the future.
9 – Overworking is one of life’s greatest mistakes
Work is a necessary part of life. You need to earn money to pay your bills, buy your food, and clothe yourself. As important as work is, it’s easy to lose perspective and allow work to consume you. Overwork is a good thing gone bad. It steals time away from family, friends, and church. If you see now that you made this mistake, forgive yourself and don’t allow overwork to rule you any longer.
How to stop lying to yourself and let go of past mistakes
So, once you acknowledge your mistakes, how do you let go of them? It’s a process. Letting go of your mistakes will take time and effort on your part. You won’t be free of your regrets in a day or two. It may take weeks, months, or even years to finally be at peace. That’s okay because you’re on a journey. Instead of focusing on your past mistakes, focus on today. Take one step at a time. Here are some other ways to let go of your past mistakes.
- Focus your attention on the positive: Focus on today. Live each day as if it could be your last. Love those people you care about, serve others, and take risks you wish you had taken years ago.
- Remember, you’re a different person: Today, you’re older and hopefully wiser. You understand life and people better than you did when you were young. Please take advantage of this knowledge and act upon it accordingly.
- Be open to new things: Try new experiences, meet new people, and go to places you have never visited before. Step out into a new season of an authentic life you never had in the past.
- Allow time to heal you: Time has a way of helping you let go of past mistakes. You know more now than you did, and you can be more flexible than you were back in the day. Good chance things don’t bother you as much as they did when you were younger. You understand yourself and others better.
Trust God to help you stop lying to yourself and release the guilt.
Of course, some mistakes are serious, and you may live with the consequences for years. Many people find faith in God helps them deal with guilt and regret. Psalm 86:5 (ESV) says, For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. God promises that He will hear you if you call to him for help. He promises to forgive you if you’re genuinely sorry for the wrongs you’ve done. Find authentic freedom from your regrets today by turning to God for help.
Final thoughts on why you must stop lying to yourself so you can live a fuller life
Everyone makes mistakes that they later regret. It’s not so much whether you make mistakes, but what you do with them makes a difference in your life. If you hold on to your mistakes, allowing them to weigh heavily upon you, you won’t be free to live your life. Learn the lessons from your mistakes and stop lying to yourself about them. So stop lying to yourself, and be honest. You can let go of these mistakes and learn lessons from them to help you be a better, more authentic person today and in the future.
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