HOW TO STOP FEELING GUILTY AFTER DOING SOMETHING TERRIBLE

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I want to believe many of us have been here. You engage in some very questionable activity and you say to yourself, "I can't believe I just did that" and then you start to feel guilty because it goes against all of the things you believe in.  
For example, you decide to be celibate till marriage but you end up sleeping with a guy or girl you just met. Or you find yourself bribing your way out of a situation when everyone knows you to be someone of integrity. 
Well, rather than dwell in guilt, the first thing to do is to examine why you did what you did! Sometimes stressors in one area of our lives show up in other areas. Sometimes we do these things out of curiosity; it's us questioning the tribal and cultural beliefs we were raised with.  

After you have figured out why you did it, you should examine why you are feeling guilty. Are you feeling guilty because you are struggling to understand why what you did was wrong? Or are you feeling guilty because you know it was wrong and you are afraid you would probably do it again? Or you are afraid of what people would say if they found out what you did? 

Once you have figured out the source of your guilt, you should examine your risks; especially in relation to the people around you. If you are doing something illegal, think about what your life would be like if you were caught. Even if it isn't something illegal, ask yourself, what your life would be like in the future if you continued down a certain path. Each one of our actions have consequences and whether we believe this or not, it is natural law. 

Still, I believe that the fact that you feel guilty means that you have some moral fiber in you and that's a good thing. Some people inflict harm on other people and feel no remorse for their wrongdoing. 

However, you can't stay guilty. You need to take action. My advice would be to avoid putting yourself in positions where might be tempted to compromise your sense of self and wholeness. It might mean taking very difficult but needed decisions; for the greater good. 

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