Josie,

You found yourself in a bad spot and did some things that didn’t serve you well. When you just fluffed the test, it reminded you of all of that, and it probably made you feel like this was somehow definitive of “who you were”. As if you were somehow a bad person that “just did these things.”

Perhaps this is the explanation, perhaps it isn’t. The truth is, no one can know except for you.

But I want to encourage you to not let what you did define who you are. You have done some good things and some bad things in your life. We all have. But judging yourself like this only takes away your energy and channels it in a direction that isn’t going anywhere.

I believe that every mistake we make is a gift, because it brings along a lesson. Sometimes we don’t learn the lessons, so we keep making mistakes until the lesson is obvious enough that it slaps us in the face and we finally start learning it. Many times, the lesson is that we were not valuing the right things, that we were pursuing things that weren’t aligned with our true purpose.

For your shame – allow yourself to feel it. Just let it be there but don’t let it rule your life. Once you feel it, hear what it has to say, and recognize that it’s just trying to protect you. Then decide to let it go, as what you do does not define who you are.

Good luck Josie!