S25E28 Starting A New Chapter Without Guilt

Feeling guilty about changing your life? In this episode, Sahar explores why guilt keeps you stuck, why you owe yourself the truth, and how to start your next chapter without guilt or self-abandonment. Is it guilt for letting others down, or are you really abandoning yourself?

Learn the difference between self-reproach and accountability, why analysis often leads to paralysis, and how to take small, grounded actions to build from where you are right now. Because life is interactive – action brings feedback, and feedback brings clarity.

Discover why your guilt might not even be yours, how to know when it’s an acquired feeling, and why your destiny hasn’t been missed. It’s unfolding right here, as you choose your truth.

Trust yourself. Rewrite your story. Reclaim your power. Thanks for listening! Remember to subscribe to for more inspiring content each week. Would you take a moment to leave a review? You can now rate and review Unbox The Podcast on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/UnboxThePodcast

 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Have you ever felt guilty for wanting to change your life because you didn’t want to let others down – only to realise, deep down, that the only one you were letting down all along is YOU?

(00:05):
Welcome to Unbox The Podcast. I’m your host, Sahar Huneidi Palmer. This season is all about The Power of Your Story. Change your story. Change your life.
Each week, we explore how the story you tell yourself shapes your life – and how you can rewrite it to reclaim your power.
In the last episode, we spoke about how growth shifts relationships. Today, we’re diving into guilt – that heavy feeling that often stops us from starting a new chapter.

Let’s start by considering the first step in the pyramid of awareness (00:20):
Your Body
Where does guilt live in you?
Is it a heaviness in your chest when you think about speaking or acting on your truth?
Perhaps a sinking feeling in your stomach when you think about leaving a situation that’s not right for you?
Or a tightness in your throat when you imagine saying no?

(00:45):
Pause for a moment.
Close your eyes if you can and take a deep breath. Bring your awareness to that part of your body. Allow yourself to feel the sensation. Know that it is just energy. It’s a message telling you something is out of alignment.
become aware of it. Ask yourself What is it showing me?
But here’s something important to realise:
If guilt isn’t felt in your body – if it’s just looping thoughts in your mind – then it’s not real guilt. It’s acquired guilt. You are thinking not feeling guilt!

(01:10):
It’s like downloading a virus onto your system without knowing. You think you’re guilty because that’s how you were taught to feel. That’s what society conditioned into you to keep you small, to keep you compliant, to keep you from questioning.
Real guilt – the kind that serves you – is felt in the body as a clear signal, a sensation stored within your physical body; letting you that you’re out of alignment with your own values; with your truth.
Acquired guilt is just an inherited programme that runs in the background, draining your energy without you realising it.
If it is in your body, breathe into that awareness. Feel what is yours to carry – and what never was. Let go as you breathe out. It’s that simple!
Second dimension or step in the awareness pyramid is Emotions

(01:35):
Why do we feel guilty when we want to start a new chapter?
A common thing I hear from clients is:
“I don’t want to let anyone down.”
“I feel bad for changing because they depend on me.”
“I don’t want them to think I’m selfish.”

(02:00):
But I want you to ask yourself right now:
Why do you care so much about pleasing others? If you can’t find answer, it’s an acquired virus!
Honouring your truth isn’t about becoming unkind or uncaring. It’s about realising that you are number one in your life. That you don’t abandon yourself.
If you are happy, grounded, and well-adjusted, your energy will naturally uplift everyone around you. But when you abandon yourself to keep others comfortable, you end up feeling resentful, drained, and disconnected from who you truly are.

Here’s the truth (02:20):
self-abandonment is not kindness.
Often, guilt masks self-abandonment. You think you’re being good by staying small, by holding back, by not speaking up. But really, you’re abandoning your own needs, your own truth, your own life path.
Next step is the Mind

Remember that acquired virus that loops a thought in your mind. Here’s another truth (02:35):
Analysis is sometimes paralysis.
You can analyse all you want – think about every scenario, weigh every option, wonder what everyone will think. But none of that will take you anywhere. Only taking an action does.
Because life is interactive. When you act, life responds. You get feedback. You pivot, refine, and adjust. You deal the hand you’ve been dealt, and you build from wherever you are at any moment.
Life is like a dance partner. When you move, it moves with you. It’s not about finding the ideal step – it’s about moving to find your rhythm.
Start with what is possible right now, instead of waiting for ideal conditions. The ideal reveals itself as you grow, as you shape life into what aligns with The Real You that you are becoming.

(03:00):
The last step is Accountability to Action
Here is something else I often hear:
“I tried this, but people didn’t change.” Or what I’m feeling did not change
If you’ve said this to yourself, I want you to reflect. Sometimes when you take action and others don’t respond how you had hoped, it’s due to three things:

Your delivery (03:20):
Was it aligned, clear, and coming from your truth?
The context or timing. Was it the right moment for them to hear and receive it?
Your syntax. Were your words simple and direct, or masked with fear, frustration, or resentment?
If what you communicate is coming from the heart- it will reach their heart.
The truth is, once others feel that you mean it, that you’re rooted in your decision and your truth; they will change how they respond to you. If not at first, but the third time they will! Or, you will both realise then that it’s time to go your separate ways – and that’s okay too so long as it’s from both of your hearts.

(03:45):
Don’t get stuck blaming others because you feel guilty or disappointed that they didn’t change. Often, the most difficult thing, is that you have to face you. Your truth. And the consequences of your choices. When you honour your truth - you’re ready. And they will feel it. No need for playing games.
If you keep complaining about your situation but take no aligned action, nothing will change. Complaining only asserts your victimhood, and keeps you stuck in the same story.
example
I had a client who felt so guilty for not leaving her corporate job sooner. She would say, “I’ve ruined my life. I’ve missed my destiny. I should have done this years ago.”
But within weeks of acting on her truth and letting go, her creativity returned. Her energy lifted. New opportunities flowed. She realised she hadn’t missed her destiny – her destiny was waiting for her to show up fully.

(04:10):
Closing reflection
So today, ask yourself:
Where am I holding back from starting a new chapter because of guilt?
What’s more painful, feeling guilty about letting others down, or abandoning myself?
Am I analysing so much that I’ve become paralysed?

(04:35):
What is the smallest action I can take today to build from where I am?
Because destiny isn’t something you miss. Destiny is the unfolding of The Real You in every moment you choose to act in alignment with your truth.
Trust yourself. Rewrite your story. Reclaim your power.
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https://www.saharhuneidi.com/product-category/online-growth-with-sahar-palmer/
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