The Power of Self-Compassion: Cultivating Kindness towards Yourself

It’s so easy to cut ourselves down and say that we aren’t doing enough, that we aren’t good enough or worthy enough. In a world that demands we run the rat race, with every breath we take, it feels like we’ve fallen further back behind. 

We often compare ourselves to our goals, and where we’re at. How much of a gap there is, and sometimes, there’s a massive gap beyond our imagination and it’s hard to picture how we get on top of closing it to achieve the goals.  

I did notice something though, in my own behaviour. Sometimes, when I get anxious and stressed, I seem to work myself into a frenzy because of how far apart I was from the goal. When I confided in friends about my gap, they would often remind me how far I’ve come. And it would interrupt my thinking pattern. 

Rarely have I ever looked back and reflected on where I was as an individual in all areas of my life. I've never committed to a yearly review of my progress throughout the last 12 months. I only ever set my goals or dreams for the next 12 month period and make an analysis of how much further I have to go. 

Perhaps if we reshaped our minds to see the progress and acknowledge ourselves for the growth, we would be a little more gentle when life has thrown us into a tumble dryer. We would turn to congratulate ourselves for surviving through the not so great days, thriving through the milestones we set for ourselves and witness our strength to rise above our mind's thoughts. 

If you were to show yourself a little more compassion today, you would cultivate more kindness and appreciation for all your efforts and progress. Incorporate it daily into your morning or evening practice and notice what changes for you.