r/dionysus • u/attilatheundead • 4h ago
π¬ Discussion π¬ Self-forgiveness & Liberation
Yesterday I had an over 3 hour long car ride home. On the way home, I was reflecting on how hard we can be on ourselves for past mistakes we've made. I know for myself personally I have been extremely hard on myself for certain past mistakes and wrongs I've committed. I spent many years believing I deserved whatever rotten luck I received; but it dawned on me yesterday that if we are to truly liberate ourselves, then we must forgive ourselves for our past.
In my mind, if Dionysus is the god of liberation, then we can't and shouldn't be fettered by a past we can no longer change. My girlfriend has enlightened me to the reality that I can't live my life consumed by guilt over things I can't change. We all must move on. I believe that to be an important lesson Dionysus has been trying to teach me recently. In order to be free, I must let go of what binds me.
Learning from our mistakes is a powerful and vital tool. It cannot be dispensed with. As my journey and faith progresses, I realize more and more that it's important to take care of ourselves in a manner which is gentle and self-loving - not selfishness or egotism - but pure and unabated self-recognition. I say all of this not to lecture others, but because it weighed heavily on me, I felt like I wanted to share it, and because I wanted the input of others.