Ep. 30 How to Stop Feeling Guilty for Doing What You Love
Do you ever feel guilty for taking time to do what you love?
If so, today’s conversation explores some ideas about why we often feel this way and what to do about it!
We talk about:
Finding a little extra compassion and kindness for yourself
A great list of questions to clarify the thoughts BEHIND the guilt and discover whether guilt is actually the most accurate emotion for the situation
The purpose of guilt in helping us see when we’ve made a mistake and how we can set it aside in other circumstances
How we can find answers about using our time well and balancing priorities
Listen below or wherever you listen to podcasts by searching the progress project. Listen on itunes by clicking here.
here's a recap of what we talked about:
How do we get past the guilt that often comes up when we take time to do what we love? It often requires time away from our families and other responsibilities and it can be hard to find balance.
First, it’s so important to first have more compassion and kindness for yourself and be realistic about all the wonderful things you are already contributing in the other areas of your life.
Next, take a look at your thought habits around the guilt and ask some clarifying questions:
Are you just USED to feeling guilty?
Do you assume you “should” feel guilty about this or that maybe others expect you to?
Or do you truly not feel good about the activity itself or the time it requires?
Could it be that your guilt is really just a mask for some kind of fear?
Have you determined that this activity is a good thing for you right now? Do you feel good about it? Does your family feel good about it? Have you received confirmation from God that it’s the right thing?
By getting clarity about the true thoughts behind the guilt, you can discern whether guilt is the most helpful emotion in this situation.
If it’s not, could you find a new thought to think when you find yourself feeling guilty? Have this thought ready to go when you experience the reaction negative thought. The guilt is the trigger to remind you to focus on this new thought and learn a new thought habit.
Kristin’s example: “It’s important for my kids to see me using my gifts.”
It’s so helpful if we can appreciate guilt for what it actually does for us (helps us recognize when we’ve done something wrong) but set it aside when it pops up doing a job it wasn’t intended for.
If you’ve determined that this activity is a good thing in your life right now, then you can move forward confidently -- without guilt.
Are you still unsure whether it’s right? Ask God for help.
Rely on Him to 1) figure out if you’re doing the right things, and 2) help you do it better! This increased dependence on God might look like asking for clarification if the activity is a good thing right now, or it might look like asking Him to help you feel peace, calm, and confident (and NOT guilty!).
God often gives us answers in small, simple ways -- often just the next right step.
links mentioned in this episode:
Laura and Kristin had the same favorite thing this week! It's the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie on Netflix. We both loved it so much!
