Forgiving Yourself: The Key to Personal Growth and Unlocking Your True Potential

By Elizabeth Meigs | Founder of Elizabeth Inspires, Creator of the Roadmap to Resilience™ & The Pathway to PEACE™ Method

We often talk about forgiveness as something we extend to others—but the truth is, the hardest kind of forgiveness is the kind we withhold from ourselves. In my own life, it wasn’t releasing others that broke me open—it was learning to release me.

The guilt.
The shame.
The constant loop of “You should’ve known better.”

It all weighed me down far more than anything anyone else ever said. Because let’s be honest—no one can judge us more harshly than we judge ourselves. We become our own harshest critic, replaying the past with regret, rewriting our story through the lens of shame.

We smile on the outside while silently suffering inside.
We carry regrets—so many regrets.
But what if forgiveness is the very thing that could set us free?

Why is it so hard to forgive ourselves?

Because this lack of forgiveness keeps us stuck.
Stuck in self-punishment.
Stuck in cycles of shame.
Stuck in the belief that if we keep replaying the mistake, somehow we’ll make it right.

But what we focus on grows.
And when we keep focusing on guilt, we give it more power.
We build walls around our hearts without even realizing it—walls that block out joy, healing, and the light of grace.

Holding onto guilt doesn’t protect us.
It only blinds us to the possibility of freedom.

And that’s because beneath it all is a deeper lie we’ve come to believe: “I’m not worthy of peace.”

This isn’t just about the mistake you made.
It’s about what you believe that mistake says about you.
That you’re broken.
That you don’t deserve a second chance.
That your dreams are disqualified.

But here’s the truth…
Forgiveness doesn’t say you’re excused. It says you’re free.

When you begin to forgive yourself, you unlock the door to a different kind of growth—one rooted not in guilt, but in grace. You reclaim the ability to rise, not because you’re perfect, but because you’re becoming.

I know this truth firsthand. For years, I carried shame—after my accident, after years of burnout. I thought I had forfeited my future.

But healing began when I surrendered. When I stopped trying to earn peace and chose instead to receive it.

That’s when everything changed.

Here are 5 steps to help you begin the process of forgiving yourself—because you can grow forward, even from your greatest regrets:

1. Acknowledge without judgment. Name your mistake, but don’t let it name you. You are not your failure.

2. Write a letter to your past self. What would you say to the version of you who made that decision? Speak with compassion. You were doing the best you could with what you knew.

3. Identify the false belief. What are you believing about yourself because of this mistake? (i.e., “I’m unlovable,” “I always mess up.”) Now challenge it with truth.

4. Release the regret. Write it down. Then burn it. Tear it up. Bury it. Symbolically let it go—and with it, the lie that you are unworthy.

5. Anchor in grace. Begin a daily practice of affirmations or breathwork that grounds you in peace and renews your self-compassion. Start with this: “I forgive myself. I choose peace. I choose growth.”

You cannot grow into who you were created to be if you’re still punishing who you used to be.
Forgiveness is not a weakness—it’s your way forward.

Take the Next Step Toward Peace
If you’re ready to release the weight you’ve been carrying and walk in freedom, I want to gift you something that changed my life.

👉 Download my free resource: The 30-Second Secret to Unlock Your Personal Peace & Reclaim Your Power.
It’s a powerful reset tool you can use anytime, anywhere—to quiet shame, calm anxiety, and return to center.

And if you're ready for more, I invite you to book a Free Double Your PEACE Discovery Call with me. During this call, you’ll receive:

✔ More clarity
✔ A renewed sense of hope
✔ A free guide to help you Double Your PEACE & Joy

You are already equipped with everything you need to live a life full of peace, freedom, joy, and fulfillment.

Let’s unlock it—together.