I don’t know if you can help but I feel guilty all the time. I’ve always thought I was a nice person but ten years ago I told a lie about a colleague to get a promotion. I can’t stop thinking about it and the guilt is getting worse. I feel as though my whole career is built on a lie.
Anonymous
Answer
Unfortunately, nothing can be done to change the past but sometimes we just have to forgive ourselves for things and move on with our lives. Perhaps telling a lie about a colleague was not a good choice at the time but one poor choice does not make someone a bad person. Challenging negative thoughts about ourselves and replacing them with more helpful ones can be a way to move forward. ‘People who continue to do well in their career do so because they are hard- working, reliable and are good at what they do’ may be a possible place to start.