What are the elements of self-compassion?
- Self-talk. When we talk to ourselves in our minds, instead of being negative, critical, and judgmental, we are supportive of ourselves. “I made some mistakes in my past, but this is a new day and I choose to think not what I have been but what I will be; not what I can’t do but what I can do.”
- Acceptance. All people have shortcomings, failures, mistakes, and feelings of inadequacy. “I am yet another imperfect human being, and I will treat myself with the same care and concern that I treat my family and friends.”
- Positioning. “I am not my failures and mistakes. I am not a victim of my circumstances and my horrid past. I am a child of God and my worth comes from identifying with Him.”
You can draw a line in the sand and tell yourself that up to this day you have been hard on yourself and unforgiving, but from this time on, you will be compassionate to yourself and live a new life free of recrimination and fear. You can do it. I did, and this thinking brought me out of the black box of depression and into a new life of peace and restfulness.
