Last update: January 12, 2016
Our life is permeated with guilt and worry, two emotions that do not bring us anything good, but to which we give more importance than we should.
We tend to feel guilty about things we haven't done, things we don't like the consequences of. We worry about what we should do, but we don't do it out of fear or lack of resourcefulness.
“The fault lies not in the feeling, but in the self-belief”.
(Saint Bernard of Clairvaux)
Do you know what you are missing out on giving importance to these two emotions?
You feel you cannot avoid it, but it is good that you are aware of how much you lose yourself in prioritizing these two emotions. Today we want to help you see them as they really are: useless emotions.
Useless emotions freeze you
Both guilt and worry are emotions that have the effect of immobilizing you; furthermore, they waste your time, because they are given the attention they do not deserve.
Guilt makes you miss the present moment, because you think about what you condemn yourself for. Waste your time thinking about something that has already happened and has no solution.
Worry freezes you, because it makes you think of a future that has not yet arrived and that worries you.
Feeling guilty or worrying will change neither the past nor the future.
But why do you give so much importance to these two emotions? Now that you are aware that they do not bring you anything positive, why do you keep paying attention?
All the people around you live in obedience to these two emotions. Often we see depressed and pessimistic people who continually blame and worry about things they have done or have not yet done.
Probably, you are not an exception either. Because of this, it is necessary for you to identify these two emotions and eliminate them; in this way, you will be able to avoid some consequences, for example anguish.
Distress is one of the manifestations of guilt and worry. Because of it, you feel downcast and annoyed and, at the same time, obsessed with an event or something that might happen.
Learn the lessons of the past, guide your future
Once you have identified these emotions within you, that you have understood how they make you feel and that you have verified that they do not serve other than to distress you, you must find a remedy.
The sense of guilt should not be seen as a torment, but as an opportunity to learn from a mistake made. This will help you not to fall into fault again and to move forward in your life.
No one is free from guilt: everyone, at some point, makes mistakes, but you don't have to think that it is something negative, absolutely not! Making mistakes will make you a better person, but only if you see them as an opportunity of personal development and growth.
As for worry, know that there is no point in obsessing over what might happen. When the time comes, you will have to act, and what has to happen will happen.
It is useless to first think about what can happen, because it may be that, when the time comes, the events unfold in a way that you did not expect, which may be better or worse. Surely, if you think about it, you will come up with occasions when none of the things that happened matched your expectations.
The past cannot be changed, the future is yet to come. With these tips, you are prepared to face your past and future differently. Nobody tells you that you cannot feel these two emotions, but it is good that you learn from them.
You are an emotional being and you must learn to manage all your feelings in your favor. Even the most negative feeling can be an opportunity to learn and improve as a person.
Do not withdraw into yourself and do not distress yourself with feelings of guilt or worry for things you cannot change. What has happened can no longer be changed and we are not given the future until it actually happens.
