be kind
supportive
compassionate
understanding
with yourself,
past and present
as you would be
with your closest, dearest friend
but don’t cut yourself
any slack, don’t spoil yourself
coddle, enable, excuse,
justify toxicity, reactivity
and call it “loving” yourself
self “love” without self awareness
isn’t actually valuing yourself
enough to do what is best for you
no matter how hard it may be
it is, instead, a path to
egocentric, solipsistic narcissism
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete”
— Buddha
accept your own progress
on your own path
(you are as far
along your path
as you could be)
and seek understanding
when you miss your own mark
no self-judgment
no self-punishment
no self-shaming
no self-recrimination
no self-condemnation
“You’re not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax. Master the day. Then just keep doing that every day.”
don’t lose entire days
when you get derailed
master the moment
master picking yourself
back up, quickly, gently,
kindly, compassionately
when you stumble, struggle, or fall
