I've made so many mistakes over the course of my life. And I've committed so many wrongs.
Many of my mistakes haunt me when I think of them. Each one undoubtedly set my life on a different course. When I think of them I sometimes want to punch myself in the face and mutter "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
If the "many-worlds" interpretation of quantum physics is correct, there are countless versions of me out there who didn't make the same mistakes I've made (they made other mistakes). I wonder what those versions are experiencing as a result. What mistakes did I avoid making?
And when I think of the wrongs I've committed... if I believed in punishment rather than justice, as so many do, I would probably kill myself.
I never did anything like robbery, rape, kidnapping, or murder, but wrong enough that I wish I hadn't done them.
One good thing is that I haven't committed as many wrongs since my early 20s or so. I'm sure I've committed smaller wrongs, but nothing I dwell on. I've focused more on making mistakes since then.
No matter what anyone else thinks of me, I'm my own worst critic. But the cats love me.
I do think I'm getting better with the passing years. Coming to understand rights and responsibilities was a big part of that improvement. The best anyone can do is to be a better person than year-ago you was.
I also have to remember that in very real ways, I am not that same person I was. Not only have all my cells been replaced since then, but my mind has other contents. I'm a different person than I was when I was 20 or 30, and certainly different than when I was a teen. At some point you've got to let the past be the past and move forward. Remember and enjoy the good parts of the past; let go of and forgive yourself for the bad parts. That will help make you a better person, too.
Now, if I could really convince myself of this and put it into action. It's a process.
Thank you for helping support KentforLiberty.com.
Donations and subscriptions are always appreciated!
Welcome to being a human being :) If those wrongs you mentioned impacted you and you made changes because of them then I think they served their purpose. Some of us are better at learning than others so we don't have to go through so many wrongs before learning the lesson we are meant to learn. We tend to make the same mistakes over and over until we understand what we are doing wrong.
I agree with what you said "The best anyone can do is to be a better person than year-ago you was." because you are exactly right. I keep track of my big life changes year after year so I can see the progression. I have made some big changes, even this year and its only March :) So yes that is what we need to do. Also the past cannot be changed and I think what ever happened to you, happened for a reason. Regardless of your mistakes, you should love yourself enough to forgive yourself. We all make mistakes, will continue to make mistakes in the future and we all have inner demons to overcome. That is why for most of us, this process takes a life time and will continue until we take our last breath.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Price of personal growth. You have to look back on who you were.
People who never grow, get to be proud of everything they've ever done; I envy them for that.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit