Make a list of what you’re doing
that you think is wrong and stop doing those things. You might keep backsliding for awhile, but if
you keep at it, you’ll make it. Also make a list of things
you should be doing and aren’t. Never mind what others think
you should or shouldn’t do or what you’ve been told
is right or wrong. Just pay attention to what you feel
is right or wrong. And make sure you write it out. This,
by itself, will give you some relief, because we are never as
bad as we think we are. When you write it out, you’ll see
that. The list will be finite. Work on one thing at a time. Then
cross it off your list.
Make amends for anything you’ve
done in the past that you feel guilty about. Some situations only need an apology, or just
an admission that you did it. Other situations will require you
to take some action to make up for the damage you did.
Before you get started on this, you should know that it’s
never as bad as you think it will be. It’s easier to make
amends than it first may seem. Be creative. Make it fun. You
may come up with a wild idea, but if it seems right to you, try
it.
Forgive yourself for all the “bad”
things you’ve done. This should
be fairly easy since you’ve already taken responsibility
for your past and present action. But to finish the job, you
need to forgive yourself. To forgive yourself simply means to
give up resentment against yourself, or give up the desire to
punish yourself. Since you have taken and are taking responsibility
for your actions, to continue to punish yourself or resent yourself
is just silly. You are human. Humans make mistakes. You’ve
recognized that and corrected your mistakes. That’s something
to feel good about. So forgive yourself. A decision is all that’s
required. Simply decide to stop resenting yourself and give up
any intentions of punishing yourself