Forgiving Myself

As a mom of many, one of the things I teach/encourage my children to is to forgive.

I teach them that it is good to forgive when someone wrongs them or makes a poor judgment that affects them, and to forgive that person that hurts them with words.
Yet I have realized - that equally as important is being able to forgive oneself.
Sounds easy but oh so hard to do.

I have come to realize that I am very hard on myself in non productive ways. I have also come to realize that my knee jerk reaction was to punish myself with food when I do something "wrong" that I feel guilty about. I have already established - that I don't seek food for comfort but rather more as a way to punish myself. That somehow - I don't deserve to feel / look good.

I need to forgive myself, I need to let go of the negative emotions, and to realize that I can learn from my mistakes - and if one can learn - then the mistake had purpose.

It is no different then I teach my children. Forgiveness is good, it makes a person stronger, more compassionate. It has purpose.

I forgive myself, I forgive myself for all the things where I wish I had made better choices but realize now that my only choice is to learn from those mistakes and move forward with that knowledge.

I forgive myself being fat, I want and will be healthier but until I am - I am who I am and that is not a bad thing.

I forgive myself for all the times I have started something and not completed it. Again - all I can do is aanalyse what held me back and to move forward .. always moving forward with the belief that I will complete what I start if it has purpose and meaning for me.

I forgive myself for abusing my body with food - and to realize that to learn a new way of life is going to take time. I can and will do this.

I forgive myself for all the horrible things I have said to myself.

I do deserve to be happy, healthy and the person I choose to be.