How kind are you to yourself?
I’m not very nice to myself.
It’s a shame.
If I met myself out on the street, I’d smile and say something kind.
If I stopped to have a conversation, I’d be impressed with what I’ve done, what I know, the qualities I possess. I’d want to be my friend.
But it’s much harder to do this when I’m unable to step outside of myself.
I set high expectations for myself.
And then I get upset when I fall short of those [unreasonable] expectations.
Instead of celebrating what I bring to the world,
I fixate on what I lack.
I run myself ragged trying to do it all, learn it all, be it all.
Because more is better.
Because the more good I put into the world, the more I give and serve and do, the better I’ll be. The more people will like me. The more I may like myself.
Except all the more doesn’t work.
More just leads to more.
More busy, more tired, more high expectations, more falling short, more not enough.
I’ve been thinking a lot about 2023, and what that will look like for me.
And I think the answer is less doing and more being.
I’m still working out plans, but I’m going to fill 2023 with self-compassion, self-care, self-kindness.
I’m going to speak nicer to (and about) myself when no one else is listening.
I’m going to celebrate more often the gifts that I bring to the world.
I’m going to honor my body by taking better care of it - imagine what I can do if I’ll well-rested, well-fed, and well-moved on the regular!
I’m going to treat myself like I’m my favorite friend.
And my hope is that’s what I will become.
Does this sound like the path you need to walk in 2023? Let’s talk about what what it’d be like to walk together.
Weekly Journal Prompts:
Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!
How do you speak to yourself? Are you kind? Or harsh and critical?
What is one expectation you have of yourself that you can stop pressuring yourself to meet?
What is one thing you can remove from your everyday schedule to create more space for rest and self-care?
Did you recently make a mistake and get upset with yourself? What can you say to yourself now to replace beating yourself up with grace and self-compassion?
One Journaling Idea I Love:
The Body Scan
Use your journaling to tap into your body. Sit quietly for a few minutes and listen.
What is your body telling you?
What are you feeling?
What in your body is calling for your attention?
How can you honor what you’re feeling?
Work with Me in 2023!
I work with clients both 1:1 and in my group programs to develop journaling practices that help you design and live a life you don’t want a vacation from.
My group program, Better Me in 2023, is my journey to rediscover and claim my worth. Even though we’re all inherently worthy, it can be hard to feel it - especially when we’re ambitious go-getters, always on the hunt for the next challenge to tackle, the next thing to learn, trying to outrun the feeling of not enough.
Each month we’ll focus on a new theme and journal our way to self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-worth.
Interested in learning more? Click HERE to set up a time to chat.
I can’t wait to journal with you! 💛
Happy Journaling!