Summarize this article in one sentence.
The first step to making amends is embracing your guilt. Instead of trying to ignore or dismiss it, see what you can learn. If you're feeling guilty, it's because you've done something wrong. You may need to make up for this, and change your behavior in the future. Think about why you're feeling guilty. Did you hurt someone you care about? Did you lash out at a friend or family member? What can you do better in the future? What should you do to make up for it in the present? However, do not lapse into shame. Shame is when you judge your whole self based on a few actions. This is counterproductive and will lead you to feel bad about yourself without making any productive changes. As you acknowledge your guilt, remember bad actions and decisions do not make you a bad person. It's important to be able to admit to mistakes without making excuses, especially if you've hurt another person. In order to change and make amends, you need to recognize your behavior was a problem. Avoid making excuses for yourself. Do not think, "Yes, I snapped at my friends, but I had a lot of stress going on" or "Yes, I was difficult yesterday, but my childhood makes me act this way." If you're making excuses, you're more likely to let bad behavior slide in the future. Instead, think to yourself, "I made a mistake. I can't change that, but I can work on improving in the future." If you want to make up for your errors, try to have a sense of how you hurt someone. Think about what you said or did. Imagine how the other person felt being on the receiving end of your behavior. It may not be easy to have empathy. This may be especially true if you're working on moving on. If you're forgiving yourself, you may think less about the other person you hurt. However, self-forgiveness can be difficult. In order to really commit to change, you need to stay empathetic. Spend a lot of time reflecting on how you hurt someone, and putting yourself in that person's shoes. This will ultimately help you slow down and consider your actions a bit more in the future. This may be as simple as an apology. You may also have to find a concrete way to make up for your actions. After reflecting on your mistake, and accepting blame, try to make it right with the other person. In some cases, it may be obvious what to do. If you, for example, damaged someone's property, you need to repair it. If you borrowed money and did not return it, you need to return it. In other cases, the damage is less concrete. You may have to apologize to someone and try to show them you've changed. It may take time to rebuild a damaged relationship, but it will be worth the effort. This will help you accept your mistakes and move forward. In other cases, the issue may be highly personal. While you did not hurt anyone else, you let yourself down. If you made a poor personal decision, think about how you can do better in the future. You can also look at ways to repair the damage now. For example, say you overspent this month due to going out with friends and unnecessary expenses. You could be very strict with spending until your next paycheck.

Summary:
Recognize guilt is useful. Accept what you did wrong. Foster empathy. Find a way to make it right.