Forgive Yourself

07.14.10

Do you have things you bought on impulse or out of wishful thinking, that you’ve never used? A woman who came to my decluttering meetup last night shared a wonderful idea.

She had a “forgiveness weekend” at her house, during which she forgave herself for acquiring things and gave herself permission to let them go. She specifcally mentioned clothes with the tags still on them. She declared a moratorium on blaming herself for making a mistake and buying something she hadn’t used, and rather than keep these things and continue to feel guilty and ashamed, she took action and cleared those things out.

I think this is briliiant. We sometimes keep things because we spent money on them, or because we wish we had the kind of life that required them. Then they sit there as reminders that we wasted the money and that our loves are not actually like that. They just make us feel bad. This smart woman put her finger on that and created a way out.

So I encourage you to forgive yourself! Declare your own “forgiveness weekend” and let some of that stuff go. And if you can manage it, don’t go back to blaming yourself on Monday. See if you can make forgiveness a habit.

(And check out my video “I Paid Good Money for It” on my website.)