Embracing Self-Compassion

Self-compassion can be tricky. I know this all too well. However, it plays a huge role in truly showing up for yourself. I’ve shared a bit about this in the past few weeks but this message is dedicated to it. It goes out to all of us who are just too damn hard on ourselves. So, let’s talk about being a little more loving and forgiving with ourselves.

Recognizing and Accepting Imperfections

I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t until I made serious decisions in my life that I was able to stop the cycle of negative self-talk. I was so caught up in self-sabotage for the longest time. I had to come to terms with my weaknesses and the cycles I would find myself in. I was so caught up in the “getting ready” phase of all these things I said I wanted to do. I had to get very real and extremely clear about my mission and my vision. This was part of my pivot process, and this keeps me working everyday. And because of this commitment I’ve made to myself, I am no longer AS self-sabotaging as I used to be. I have also learned to embrace and accept my imperfections.

But let me remind you, this took me a million years. It did not just happen overnight. And I'm still learning. I have to continually forgive myself and gently remind myself that I was and am exactly where I’m supposed to be in every moment, despite my weaknesses, imperfections, and sometimes bad decision making. (These DO make for great stories, though.) We live, we learn, we move on.

Cultivating a Positive and Nurturing Inner Dialogue

Just like anything in life that we have to learn to do or train to do, cultivating a positive and nurturing inner dialogue takes time, practice, and effort. But that effort part makes the work all the more satisfying. And this inner dialogue is EVERYTHING to your now, and to your future. Always remember that you have a choice. You have the option to pivot your thoughts immediately. THAT is true power.  If you start being hard on yourself, if you start in with the negative self-talk, stop the thought in its tracks. Just STOP. Ask yourself where it is coming from. And ask yourself if it is serving you to continue to speak to yourself in that manner. It’s not. I promise.

Look, no matter where you are on your life journey, this is your time to shine. Why would you let anyone or anything stop you? And DEFINITELY don’t let YOU be the one to stop you. That’s just dumb. If you backslide, brush it off, and keep moving forward. Give yourself all the love, forgiveness, and self-compassion you would want someone else to give you. You deserve that.

I want to encourage you today, as we head into our weekend, to take some time to tell yourself “I love you.” Feel this love in your body and forgive yourself for any perceived mistakes. Remember that everyone backslides. It’s part of the process. But we certainly don’t have to live in that space. You’ve got this!

All my love, Lindsay M