Until you are kind towards yourself, you won’t be able to be honest with yourself. Until you’re honest with yourself, you won’t be able to take responsibility for your life. Until you’re willing to take responsibility for your life, you’ll be stuck in the same place.
Just because you’re at a different point in life than someone else, it doesn’t mean that you’re behind or that you’re not making progress.
In those moments when we compare ourselves to others we forget that we had different starting points, different circumstances, families, experiences, opportunities, etc… When you remember that it’s easier to see how pointless comparison is. Much more useful use of time is to reflect on whether you are living in alignment with your values and priorities. Like anything in life, self-improvement can be used either as a tool or a weapon. Self-improvement is one of those things that we can very sneakily turn into a never ending ending cycle of "becoming better."
While I do believe that personal growth and change are inevitable parts of life, pursuing them from a place of shame and self-judgment becomes a game we can't win, and that's because we can't shame ourselves into feeling good about ourselves. Feeling good about ourselves comes from a sense of safety and acceptance, not judgment and shame. Check in with yourself: Does desire for self-improvement and personal growth come from a place of excitement and self-honoring, or am I pursuing it because I don't feel worthy & enough as I am? ![]() Wellbeing practice can be anything that supports a greater mental strength and helps you feel anchored to yourself. The most challenging thing about these practices is remembering to actually do them and to be present with the experience. These are not meant to feel like a chore or yet another thing on your to do list, so pick a practice that you will look forward to engaging in. Here are 5 simple ideas anyone can do daily. 1. Upon awaking, take a few minutes to get in touch with how you want to feel during the day. Remind yourself of that feeling throughout the day. 2. Listen to or read something uplifting and inspirational. Write down parts that resonate with you so you can keep revisiting them. 3. Spend time in nature/outdoors even if just for a few minutes. 4. Reflect on & celebrate a win from the past week/month. Think about what makes it so meaningful? 5. Detach from negative moods and thoughts by writing them down. You don't have to take them with you everywhere you go. |
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August 2023
AuthorSladja Redner |