The present is the only moment where you can choose freedom….. The freedom not to be controlled by habitual patterns and social conditioning. Being present and seeing your patterns and knowing you have agency over them.
Be present and make a conscious choice with understanding will bring you a moment of freedom. And…. there is freedom in forgiving yourself from bad choices you’ve made.
We we are constantly falling short of where we want to be so if you can’t forgive yourself, you don’t really have a Buddhist practice.