Be Kind to Yourself

 

 

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Release the harsh and pointed inner
voice. It's just a throwback to the past,
and holds no truth about this moment.

Let go of self-judgment, the old,
learned ways of beating yourself up
for each imagined inadequacy.

Allow the dialogue within the mind
to grow friendlier, and quiet. Shift
out of inner criticism and life
suddenly looks very different.

I can say this only because I make
the choice a hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to
acknowledge the real me.

What's needed here isn't more prodding toward perfection, but
intimacy - seeing clearly, and
embracing what I see.

Love, not judgment, sows the
seeds of tranquility and change.

by Danna Faulds 

Today, my singing group raised the rafters with a rendition of Penny Stone's 'Give a Little Kindness'. The lyrics are wonderful, and remind us that we need to be kind to ourselves and one another. Click here to listen to Penny's sing-along.

Afterwards, we talked about the things we did to be kind to ourselves, whether it be relaxing in a warm bath, meditating, walking in the fresh air, or wild swimming. 

We agreed that it was all too easy to criticise ourselves, or feel shame for what we considered our inadequacies. We reminded ourselves that, if responding to a friend who might be expressing doubts about their own worth, we would automatically offer kindness, encouragement and love. 

It's certainly harder to put our own self-worth centre stage and to really like and love ourselves. It was wonderful, therefore, to hear one group member, when asked if he liked himself, respond with confidence, "What's not to like?!" 

Writing prompts:

• Make a list of all the things you could do this week to be kind to yourself. Choose one of them to write about in more detail. Make sure you put your plan into action.
•  What have you done recently to offer kindness to someone else? Write about it.
• Do you love yourself? Explore the answer to this question in your writing.