How do i forgive myself for past mistakes while still kicking myself over them?

I think you should forgive yourself and leave the kicking to other people.

You should never kick yourself over mistakes. If you do it means you could be self destructive, that never feels good. The amount of time you should spend "kicking yourself"is about the amount of time it took you to realize you made a mistake... The faster you turn around and forgive yourself, the faster you can feel more powerful fixing past mistakes... People today are way too hard on themselves, it is partly why so many people refuse to try. Out of fear of failure.... Fear is the only thing to fear, I have learned it first hand....

You need to understand that everything happens for a reason. Whatever mistakes you have made have taught you a lesson that you needed. Use these mistakes to grow as a person and move on. Forgive yourself. Life is for living and if you only think about the mistakes you have made you are depriving yourself of enjoying what you do have. This comes from experience. Namaste, jen.

meangreen has a good point, about people not trying. I certainly wish I was that way, but I am not. I kick the **** out myself for mistakes. It's really hard to quit too, because I'm an easy target. I end up doing it the people I love as well.

To a certain extent, I look at it as motivation. It seems constructive to pay penance for a mistake. I do it because I want to make SURE that I learned from it. However, I know that I over do it. If we could cut off unwanted thoughts or simply stop them, there wouldn't be so many basket cases like me on this site. LOL

I suppose a good rule would be to realize the mistake, make a plan to correct or prevent it again (however long that takes), and THEN stop berating yourself.

Kick yourself in the ***... ONE time. That is it. Then you learn from it and move it along ! Constant kicking of ones self not only makes it difficult to walk but also you won't let go long enough to forgive ! Good luck to you.....

Sounds to me like you know how to do that just fine....

Why would you want to forgive yourself? if you have done something unforgivable you should kick yourself harder.