I have journaled for years about my life’s journey. Each time I meet with my spiritual director, I read what I have journaled since we last met. Most times I end my journal entry with, “Be kind to yourself, Kevin.”
We tend to be our own worst critic. We judge ourselves against unrealistic standards. This was illustrated to me when I recently engaged eight women in the medical field on mindfulness. Most of them shared how they don’t take time to just “be.” They multi-task and get frustrated. Their minds are like jumping monkeys, and they don’t feel centered in their days. Some were critical of themselves for allowing these things to happen. My response was, “Don’t be judgmental of yourself; be kind to yourself.”
There is a quote from the Buddha: “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” We can be so kind and encouraging to our friends, but when it comes to ourselves, we shy away from such kindness.
So, what to do? Here are several wisdom tips from 52 Ways to Shift Any Outcome in Less Than a Minute – Practical Mindfulness for Leaders by Sellers, Boone and Harper of Inspired Mastery.
- “Notice when you are being hard on yourself. Allow yourself to open to the kindness you deserve.”
- “What do you know about taking care of yourself that you’re not letting yourself act on?”
- “Listen to your inner wisdom and follow it, even when habit or other people’s agendas might appear to compete.”
My challenge to you this week is to notice when you have been too hard on yourself and practice a little kindness for your own sake.