Member-only story
The Kindness You Show to Others, You Owe It To Yourself
The last lesson I thought I would need to learn as an adult is how to be kind to myself
Most of us are decent human beings, or at least we try. At a young age, when we start to interact with others, the first thing we are taught is to be kind- the golden rule — do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Which is good until you grow up and realize no one taught you how to be kind to yourself.
You were taught to work hard. To eat your veggies and fruits. To keep a tidy house. Proper grooming and table manners. To respect your elders, avoid fights, and be a good citizen.
You do all these, and just when you are ready to go conquer the world, unkind people start showing up in your life. At work. At home. At the supermarket. You can’t escape.
And the worst part is, with technology at your fingertips, these unkind people can reach you anywhere any time. You wonder; Weren’t they taught the same lessons by their parents?
Now you have to deal with these people. To add to that, your inner critic is very much alive and shouting; You need to go to the gym. You need to stop eating junk food. You need to work harder. You need to study. You are lazy. You are stupid….it never stops.
