There are some ideas and concepts that are just timeless. I hope that you will give me a moment to talk to you about kindness. Kindness is something we all learn about as children. When we are kids we are taught to pick things up and open doors. That is the simplest form of kindness.
I am not talking about those actions.
In all the greatest spiritual traditions, at their heart is tenderness, just to be kind inside, and then everything rights itself. Fear rests. Confusion rests.
Being kind to oneself can come naturally to those who believe they deserve it. Unfortunately, for many people, including those who experienced abuse or neglect in childhood, shame may have kept you from feeling kind toward yourself in much the same way that it may have been difficult to accept kindness from others.
You may not believe that you deserve to be treated with the same patience, tenderness and comfort that you might naturally feel for a loved one.
Most people define self-kindness as providing for yourself the patience, acceptance, caring and whatever words you used to describe kindness. But it is so much more. Self-kindness involves generating feelings of care and comfort toward oneself.
Instead of being self-critical, self-kindness involves being tolerant of our flaws and inadequacies. It also involves learning simple tools for giving ourselves the support we need whenever we suffer, fail or feel inadequate.
Learning to practice self-kindness will take time and practice. Start today. Be kind to yourself.
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