More than Words

Reflect on the way you speak to yourself.  Does the internal conversation you have with yourself offer the same kindness you would give to a friend?

I used to speak to myself in an incredibly critical way, but have found that it’s much more productive to talk to myself as I would talk to a friend.  If I need to take time before I’m ready for something, instead of, “what’s wrong with me – why am I not ready to take an action here”  I’ll now say, “that’s OK, take as much time as you need and movement will come when you’re ready”.  Another example lives in picking apart interactions with others. I might have specifically focused on worry over how something I did or said may have been interpreted. The difference between how I feel speaking to myself as I would speak to a friend is worlds away from the analytical and anxiety ridden past.

Why not be your own friend?  Speak kindly to yourself.  Whatever it is that’s going on, isn’t worth beating yourself up over or letting an unfortunate pattern get the better of you.

Photo by Rachael King