Breaking Through The Chains of Guilt

A friend once warned me (paraphrasing): “you’re a Pisces, so it’s important that you pay attention to others using guilt to try and manipulate you.” Now regardless of what your opinions are with respect to the validity of Astrology, I can attest that this advice has been extremely helpful over the past 5 years. Guilt can be a powerful emotional weapon, particularly for individuals that have an emphatic personality or that seek approval from others.

I know this at a personal level because I’m still discovering area of my life where I fall into this pattern. Sometimes it’s not voicing my opinion in order to keep the peace. Sometimes it’s feeling bad about asking for what I want instead of being agreeable in order to make others happy. Sometimes it’s more extreme, such as feeling bad about a past mistake and overcompensating in trying to make it up to them.

Regardless of whether it’s big or small, guilt is rarely a useful emotion. In extreme cases, it’s paralyzing. But take comfort. Guilt is like being in a prison where the door is locked from the inside. It’s our choice open the door and free ourselves from the chains that bind us.

All we need to do is recognize the pattern and then have the courage to take action to change the pattern.