Patience with ourselves: Practicing without “should”

Some of us can accept others right where they are a lot more easily than we can accept ourselves. We feel that compassion is reserved for someone else, and it never occurs to us to feel it for ourselves. My experience is,  that by practicing without “shoulds”, we gradually discover our wakefulness and our confidence. Gradually, without any agenda except to be honest and kind, we assume responsibility for being here in this unpredictable world, in this unique moment, in this precious human body.

Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart

Developing self-compassion

Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself.

You may not be perfect, but you are all you’ve got to work with.

The process of becoming who you will be begins first with the total acceptance of who you are.

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

Our troubles teach us compassion

Everyone alive has suffered. It is the wisdom gained from our wounds and from our own experiences of suffering that makes us able to heal. Becoming expert has turned out to be less important than remembering and trusting the wholeness in myself and everyone else. Expertise cures, but wounded people can best be healed by other wounded people. Only other wounded people can understand what is needed, for the healing of suffering is compassion, not expertise.

Rachel Naomi Remen

Teens Day 19: Connect with your core

 

When your mind is reeling in confusion, breathe deeply into the centre of your chest.

Connecting to the core of your being this way extends loving kindness to yourself , even when there is none in sight.

Ezra Bayda

Today, can you….

 

Right now, can you make an unconditional relationship with yourself? Just the height you are, the weight you are, with the intelligence that you have, and your current burden of pain? Can you enter into an unconditional relationship with that?

 


Pema Chodron, Comfortable with Uncertainty

Always running is a kind of aggression

 

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently

Pema Chodron