"May I Be Kind to Myself in This Moment of Difficulty"

Regardless of what we're going through, whether it's fear, sadness, anger, shame, depression, anxiety, guilt, or countless other experiences and emotions, self-compassion/kindness is the way. It never ceases to amaze me how unkind we can be to ourselves, especially just when we need kindness the most. So, when you're having a hard time, how about committing to actively being there for yourself with love and kindess? Try this as a start: put one hand on your heart and one hand wherever it "wants" to go and say this - out loud if you're in a place where you can:

"May I be kind to myself in this moment of [sadness/anger/hurt/grief/shame/depression/rage/anguish/fear/trauma/difficulty/whatever]."

Yup, that's it. But that seemingly small thing is huge. Just taking a moment to set that intention can open your heart toward yourself, if even just a bit. And it can set you on a path to all kinds of healing. Kindness towards ourselves takes practice. But, it is our innate way of being, as being unkind to ourselves is not a good survival skill. So, even if we can't connect to it now, or can't even fathom connecting to it, don't give up: it's in there. So, lather, rinse, repeat as often as necessary. And if you haven't already seen it, check out this piece on self-compassion. It addresses many of the obstacles and "yes, buts" that may come up.

[With thanks to Elisha Goldstein, PhD.]