Yesterday's Daily Om offered some very useful wisdom - we all could be more gentle with ourselves, more compassionate - which also does not mean allowing ourselves to slack. It's about balance.
Create Time for Self-Compassion
Being Gentle with Ourselves
The more we are able to treat our bodies with gentleness, the more compassion we will call forth into our lives.
During those times when our lives are filled with what seems to be constant change and growth, it is important to remember that we need to be gentle with ourselves. Since it can be easy to use our energy to keep up with the momentum of our lives, we may not be aware of the fact that we are much more likely to run ourselves down. When things seem to be moving quickly, it is especially essential that we make a point to slow down and be gentle with ourselves.
It might be difficult to notice what is happening to us for we may be so caught up in the whirlwind of our lives that we lose sight of the direction in which things are heading. Being gentle with ourselves doesn’t mean that we don’t accomplish things. Instead it means that we honor ourselves on an ongoing basis and take care of the needs of our bodies.
This means different things to different people. For instance, it could mean having a session with a healer; taking a remedy, herbs, or vitamins; or getting extra sleep. Putting our energy into ourselves in this way helps create space for a more positive, loving, and accepting view of our lives. By setting the intention to do so, we will be more cognizant of our energy levels on a daily basis and more able to replenish them as needed.
The more we are able to treat our bodies with gentleness, the more tenderness and compassion we will call forth into our lives. Learning to understand and pay attention to what our self needs will in turn allow us to fill our lives with unlimited loving and healing energy and to truly take care of the things that mean the most to us.
What do you think?
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2 comments:
The idea of "self compassion" concerns me. I posted contradicting sentiment, yesterday, in my Homeless Tom blog: "Affirming the intrinsic worth of all conscious beings."
I do wonder if being compassionate with oneself is appropriate sometimes and inappropriate other times.
I think it comes down to being skillful - we can use self-compassion to make excuses, or to get out of taking responsibility for ourselves - but we can also use it to quiet the inner critic when it gets too mean, or to quiet the pusher when our workload exceeds our capabilities.
We have to have enough self-awareness, though, to be discerning.
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