How can you give out what you don't have?
If you are not kind to yourself, how can you extend kindness to others?
One thing I've always been an advocate of is self-kindness, especially in a mean world where everyone shows off their achievement. We must first learn to trust the process of our growth and be kind to ourselves, even when we feel we've not reached the heights we hope to attain. We must learn to be compassionate with ourselves, treat ourselves with love and respect, and be our encouragers.
Self-kindness helps us to embrace our flaws and identify our limitations, which in turn will help us to be realistic with the goals we set for ourselves. Self-kindness will also help us celebrate our little wins each step of the way and pat ourselves on the back even when it's quite hard to go on.
Self-kindness will help us avoid the perfectionism attitude, which doesn't mean we take things for granted or carry out tasks haphazardly. When we are kind to ourselves, we focus more on our progress than the negative aspects of our lives.
When we are kind to ourselves, we would not hesitate to ask for help when we truly need it which means self-kindness helps us put pride in its place, many people have likened asking for help as a sign of weakness, but it takes someone strong to speak up and not die in silence, when you are kind to yourself you will not watch yourself die slowly when you know help will make it alright, people who aren't kind to themselves always think of taking their own life to end it all in the face of adversity, self-kindness will help us appreciate the gift of life, the gift of bonds, friendships and family, and one who is kind to themselves is a grateful person, grateful for their little wins, for their loved ones, and their lives.
I've seen so many people shut the door to their hearts because they've been hurt before. Self-kindness helps you to forgive yourself for making poor choices, helps you to let go of resentment, helps you to flourish, and gives it another chance. We all need love to thrive, don't we? Why deprive yourself of it because of your last experience? Self-kindness will help you look beyond the hurt and focus on how to make the next relationship the best.
Some people find it very hard to forgive others; they walk about with so much burden in their hearts, but are you truly kind to yourself? Self-kindness helps us let go of unnecessary burdens, thereby freeing our minds from hate, which opens doors to better opportunities to foster healthier living and peaceful habits.
Why Do I Need to Practice Self-Kindness?
Self-kindness has the magic of boosting our self-esteem. The magic begins with you believing in yourself, knowing your self-worth, and practising acceptance. This, in turn, boosts your confidence.
Self-kindness makes you very resilient; you know you have to get up after every fall. When a friend falls, we offer a hand to help them get back on their feet, so you know you have to help yourself up after every fall. If you are kind to yourself, you do not see failure as the end of it; you'll rather see failure as a major part of growth and a stepping stone to success, which helps you practice mindfulness and self-compassion. You'll realize your defeat doesn't define who you are; rather, it refines you and moulds you into a better version of yourself.
Self-kindness helps us relax our body and mind when we feel burned out. We will be so kind to allow ourselves to relax and recharge. When you are kind to yourself, you don't have to be a people-pleaser. Whatever will drain you, learn to say no to it. Doing this helps to improve productivity and happiness.
Self-kindness promotes self-care, which means staying away from any form of toxicity for the sake of our mental and emotional health. Self-kindness reminds us of the need to practice self-care routines (exercises) and set healthy boundaries.
Our daily practice of self-kindness sets a standard for others to treat us with what we measure out.
My Kindness Journal Week 2.
I started this week by writing a very kind note to Hiver about how much she inspired me; you can find it here.
I practised more self-affirmations this week. I looked at myself in the mirror and reminded myself of how strong I was. I reflected on all I have been through and realized I have conquered battles—many battles—which made me even more grateful for my little wins. This has helped me keep my worries at bay.
I taught a friend how to cut a trendy style online out of my busy schedule since she needed it urgently to sign a deal to boost her brand.
Lastly, I reached out to a very old friend to find out what's going on with them since it's been a long I last heard from him, before ending the call I left him with some kind words which he confessed made his day and that left me with a smile as well.
All images used are mine.