Today we wrap up the series on self-compassion.
I originally planned to end this series differently.
However, I’ve noticed that my heart was closed and my mind is elsewhere.
I feel depleted and overwhelmed by the past week’s events.
The war is in the air.
Violence is on stage.
Terror is in my home country, Israel.
I feel so much grief and pain.
And I’ve consciously chosen to take a self-compassion break to let all these things be.
In the midst of this, I’ve caught a “motivating” thought: “Push yourself. Go back to the initial draft and just do it! A few more changes and you are done.”
But I don’t want to be done when my heart is closed.
Because I learned that forcing myself to write, talk, listen, learn and do one more thing, when my heart is closed, is not a healthy form of motivation.
Forcing is a form of violence.
Violence starts in our heads.
Many of us learned to resist, avoid, and suppress the pain we feel by forcing ourselves to function.
We CAN unlearn and relearn how to treat ourselves differently.
We CAN learn to slow down when we feel pain and care for it.
We CAN learn to reach out for support and to remind ourselves that we are not alone.
Because –
“What we resist, persists.” BUT “What we feel, we can heal.” – Dr. Kristin Neff
Let’s choose to care.
It’s on me and you to break the cycle of violence and co-create a safe world for our kids.
It starts with us.
Becomers weekly challenge
Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading researcher in self-compassion, developed a self-compassion test to support our learning. The test assesses how well we do in the three components of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness.
Get deliberate and test yourself – You can access the test and additional resources at: www.https://self-compassion.org/
The results can help you identify areas that need your attention and prioritize your learning efforts accordingly.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to becoming the change you want to see in the world 🙏
With care and gratitude,
Liz
