"We did not change as we grew older, we just became more clearly ourselves." Lynn Hall As a life coach, I am constantly helping people gain awareness of the fact that we simply become a more clear and empowered version of ourselves as we age. Have you ever reviewed a past event and thought to yourself, "Geeze, who was that girl?" What has changed is our ability to connect to our true self. This true self enables us to react to our environment in a new and more efficient way. When we react to our environment efficiently, we are able to hold true to our values, truly honor others in their experience, and experience our own life fully. How do we go from the old self to our true self? First, we overcome the barriers of guilt and regret. Most of my clients experience barrier guilt as they see themselves change. They carry regret after regret after regret for "not knowing better," or "taking so long" to gain awareness of their environment. I will be the first to tell my clients, and you, that every emotion has a purpose, but not all emotions are necessary. This form of guilt is unnecessary for personal growth. It is actually very harmful for growth. Guilt's purpose is to remind you to practice self-compassion, which is the way to abolish this form of barrier guilt. The key is to realize this quickly and take care of it immediately. Once you are able to practice self-compassion instead of guilt or regret, navigating transitions in life can be fun! Without the complications and weight of guilt, we are free to let our reactions change in a way that is more true to our core self. We can be amused at ourselves for the little things that held us back, and amazed at ourselves for the personal power we are now aware of. Getting to know your core self, instead of the self you have been living is a transition in itself. It takes a great deal of self-compassion, exploration, and the skills of forgiveness and allowing. Overcoming guilt and regret with self-compassion is just the first step of The Journey. Check out the Journey Center site www.sybilRsmith.com and sign up for the "3 Steps Forward" Ezine for monthly tips for moving through The Journey with success and delight - without the weight of guilt. ...read more