I know it’s tempting but you can’t do it if you want to maintain your self worth and sanity. I’m as bad as anyone to beat myself up over the multitude of stupid mistakes and missed opportunities in my past but I’ve finally learned to let it all go. Not immediately, mind you, but eventually I’m able to quiet the inner voice, forgive myself, forget about it and move on! It’s important to examine what went wrong and how to avoid making the same mistakes in the future but that is a wholly different thing to self-flagellation and self-pity.

Logically, it’s important for me to remember that I was a different person back then (even if back then was yesterday) and that I didn’t know then what I know now. I did the best I could in the situation I found myself with the information I had access to… and I failed miserably. It was definitely all my fault but I paid for my error and there is no sense in continued self-persecution.  None.

Growth, change and innovation are messy. If you want to get anywhere you will have to take risks and experience failure. It’s a universal constant.  It’s ok. You’ll find that the more you fail, the easier it gets! You’ll also find that all those people you think are looking at you and laughing at you are too busy with their own lives to care about you and yours for more than just a few minutes…