You can find it on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
Being compassionate towards yourself is crucial. If you don’t care about how you feel or strive to improve it, becoming happier and more resilient is really challenging.
In my new book, Resilient, I delve into developing 12 essential inner strengths for lasting well-being in our ever-changing world, with Compassion being one of those key strengths.
Here’s why growing compassion for yourself is important:
When we treat others with respect and kindness, they often respond positively. The same applies to how we treat ourselves. Yet, many of us are much better friends to others than to ourselves. We care for their pain, recognize their good qualities, and treat them kindly. But what kind of friend are you to yourself? Often, people are too tough on themselves, critical, and self-doubting, which is more harmful than helpful.
Imagine treating yourself like you would a good friend. You’d be encouraging, warm, and sympathetic, helping yourself heal and grow. Consider how your day would be if you were supportive of yourself, appreciating your good intentions and being less self-critical.
Why Being Good to Yourself is Beneficial
It’s important to understand why being good to yourself is both fair and necessary. Without this understanding, negative beliefs can dominate, like thinking it’s selfish to care for yourself or believing you don’t deserve love.
1. General Principle: We should treat everyone with decency and compassion, including ourselves. The Golden Rule works both ways: treat yourself as kindly as you treat others.
2. Duty of Care: The more influence we have on someone, the greater our responsibility to treat them well. You have the most influence over yourself, both now and in the future. Consider treating yourself as someone you have a responsibility to care for. How might this shift your self-talk and daily actions?
3. Benefiting Others: When you increase your own well-being, you generally become more patient, cooperative, and caring in relationships. Think about how being less stressed and more content could positively impact those around you.
To truly believe in treating yourself with respect and compassion, you can take practical steps. Write down affirmations like “I am on my own side” or “I matter, too,” and read them aloud daily. Visualize explaining to someone why you’ll take better care of your needs. Picture a friend, mentor, or even a fairy godmother encouraging you to be kind to yourself and let that inspire you.
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