On more than one occasion I have thought, “I made a mistake and deserve to suffer for it.”

Culturally the belief is that when someone has done something wrong they should be punished. Even if we don’t personally think this, it is such a pervasive cultural value that it’s easy to understand how it can creep into our beliefs as well.

When we do something wrong a part of us often feels that we deserve to be punished. Additionally, because we hold ourselves to such high standards, we’ll inflict a stern punishment on ourselves which we are often unwilling ever to let go.

It is OK to recognize that we don’t need to suffer for our past choices. We can learn from them and move forward. Here is a tap-along audio to help you do just that.