I believe that when our will weakens or moral compass falters --regarding that diet we broke, or vow to ourselves that we betrayed-- it is accompanied by an opportunity to renew and redouble our efforts to pay more attention.
Instead of beating ourselves up for 'failing' we can seek to fail better (in the words of Irish playwright, Samuel Beckett). Wallowing in guilt is self-indulgent and futile, if it does not spur some form of positive action or change.
Here's another way of putting it, in a light-hearted short poem that I wrote:
Diagnosis
If experiencing a feeling of general unease
that promptly returns as soon as it leaves
Perhaps it's not the case of a nagging flu
keeping you from enjoying what you used to
Consider this: the thing that's making you wince
might just be a newly-developing Conscience!
On further reflection, I wonder if, perhaps, what we call our unconscious, our higher self, conscience, the Divine... if all these might be different ways of sayings the same things?
What do you think?
Much appreciated :)