Taking a Different Kind of Guilt Trip

Do you notice when you carry around negative thoughts? Are your shoulders sore from the burden? Often called stinking thinking, how would you treat these thoughts if you considered them akin to rotten or spoiled food? Would you keep such food around? No. You would throw out the offenders. You can do the same with one of the most pervasive negative thoughts—guilt.

Recently I worked with two personal coaching clients, each of whom discovered that guilt was seriously impeding their ability to make progress. Each engaged in an on-going guilt trashing exercise I created.

Guilt Trip Exercise:

Supplies-
Guilt trash bag
Pad of paper 5×7
Pen
Instructions

1. Notice your thoughts of guilt as they pop up
2. Write down whatever you notice immediately regardless of where you are
3. Transfer the information so that only one thought of guilt is on one each sheet of paper
4. Rip each piece of paper into tiny pieces
5. Throw the ripped paper in the bag
6. Keep the bag in your sight

This whole brain activity involves the linear process of thinking, the creative process of writing, and the kinesthetic process of ripping and discarding. Your energy increases as you release your guilt. You can use this exercise for other negative thoughts.

Benefits

Short term: Energy shift from changing the shape of guilt and moving it outside yourself

Long term: Evidence in the visual reminder that you have severed your relationship with guilt

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Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
And smile, smile, smile,
While you’ve a lucifer to light your fag,
Smile, boys, that’s the style.
What’s the use of worrying?
It never was worth while, sor
Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
And smile, smile, smile.