Be Friendly to Yourself
I noticed that when I washed my face – I did it in a hurry; when I ate a meal – I chewed it fast, so I could finish quickly; when I wiped my butt – I did it rough; and when I made a mistake at work – I would beat myself up only making my self esteem lower.
I know a lot of women who give themselves the gift of facials and massages, but mentally they chastise themselves for having too much weight in certain areas or not being smart enough for their job. This negative self-image only makes the internal struggle more difficult.
Men are hard on themselves too – trying to put each other down to get a leg up at work or drinking themselves into oblivion to help forget the pain of the week. Life’s no fun when all you can see is what you do wrong.
Breaking free of these destructive habits is difficult. I’ve been working on my personal development for over ten years and there are many times I struggle to be friendly to myself.
I want more money, but don’t think I am worthy. I internally yell at myself when I can’t write something perfectly on the first draft. All these negative ways of dealing with myself only make my life worse. I should be taking a more gracious approach.
We must give ourselves the gift of friendliness. When we make a mistake we should encourage ourselves with kind words. When we stub our toe on the corner of the coffee table we should realize it’s just a small mistake.
When you allow yourself the friendliness that you deserve, you’re allowing yourself to make errors. Making a mistake is not a big deal if you permit yourself to learn and move on. Next time you make a wrong turn in unfamiliar territory or stutter a word, try smiling and enjoying it. By being kind and encouraging to yourself, you are promoting happiness.
