The gap between self esteem
& self compassion is wide
Self esteem can create a divide
Asking “How am I different?”
“Special?”
“Unique?”
One can always find something to critique
About themselves
If we are all special?
No one is
It is a losing battle
Such a fine line we carefully straddle
Trying to embrace
Wholly who we are
Head held high
Some days it is enough
To just try
Other days we must defy
The limits we’ve put in place
It is a misconception
That self criticism
Will spur us into action
Give us some traction on this slippery slope
Your brains actual reaction
Is to produce cortisol & adrenaline
Self criticism creates a scenario
Where you are both the attacker AND the attacked
The eventual impact?
Is to shut down
Common humanity gives us common ground
To rest upon
We feel isolated by our struggles, failures, & fears
You will not find a person who hasn’t struggled, failed or feared
We are united by our differences
— We all have them
Self compassion is:
- Speaking kindly to ourselves
- recognizing common humanity
- Remaining in the moment
We can use these 3 components as a new canvas
on which we can paint
& recreate
The way we see and treat ourselves.