On today’s solo episode, I am talking about Guilt. As a common, often unspoken feeling we individually face at various points in our lives, I thought it would be a great one to unpack on today’s show. I break down the guilt construct. What it is, who it manifests, how it affects us and crucially what we can do to help ensure that it does not hold us back from manifesting our highest selves. 

I open the show by speaking extensively on Guilt and how it impacts us as humans, both emotionally and physically. I also contrast Guilt with Shame, what I consider to be Guilt's older and more debilitating cousin. I provide some insights on how and when Guilt might start to morph into Shame and what to do to avoid this. 

I then proffer some practical tips for overcoming Guilt with a compelling 4 R’s method -  Reflect, Responsibility, Repent and Renew. 

I conclude my teaching by sharing that although Guilt has somewhat of a bad wrap, it is not an entirely bad thing, because it points to two significant things. The first is that it is a sign that a person can be empathetic. You are only able to feel guilt if you can see a thing from someone else’s perspective. The second is that it helps us focus on good. When we feel guilty,  it often causes us to turn our gaze outward and seek strategies for positive change. 

In summary, you can either use guilt as a stick with which to beat yourself or as a stick that reinforces your moral compass and causes you to do better going forward. 

Key highlights of this episode are:

• True definition of Guilt and how it links with our personal values (2:07)
• The difference between Guilt and Shame  (6:42)
• Impact of Guilt on our physical body  (8:53)
• The 4 R’s of overcoming Guilt (11:56)
• “We may have done a bad thing, but we are not the thing we did” (17:56)
• “Take out self-pity, it’s deadly”  (21:22)
• “Forgiveness cannot change the past, but it can enlarge the future” (22:00)
• The flip side of Guilt (28:40)
• Our response to the realisation of sin.  (24:52)