Dear Chaya:
Without self compassion life is so very difficult. I know, I lived it. It is only lately I feel empathy for my own self- what a feeling! What a new experience. Here is a trick I learned a month ago that lead me here. I felt empathy for another person, then I thought: what about this person am I relating to. Next, I shifted my empathy from being directed to that person to being directed at me. Whenever we feel empathy for another person, it is something about the other person that reminds us of ourselves, and that is an opportunity to redirect empathy to self.

As far as mistakes, real or imagined… got to have this self empathy to no longer be bothered by it, otherwise the ongoing “proofs” of your imperfections- imperfections according to the part of you that makes a living out of negatively criticizing yourself- will keep bothering you. A little moment of compassion today, the willingness to experience a moment of it today, tomorrow…?
anita