An Offering of Self-Compassion

I’m unsure where this finds you. Maybe you’re relieved, elated, uncertain, or scared - whatever you’re feeling, it all belongs. In times like these, it can be helpful to return to our center, our groundedness, what we know to be true. Maybe you have a mantra you like to repeat to yourself, like, I’m safe. I’m secure. I have all that I need. Perhaps you enjoy silence or solitude to quiet the cacophony of voices and noise. Maybe your way to peace is intellectual assurance, reminding yourself that history has seen challenging times before, humans got through it then, and will get through it now. Perhaps none of these things work for you, and that’s okay too. Being human is highs and lows, joy and pain. In our pain-adverse culture, we love to numb out, which can be okay too, to a degree. At its extreme, however, we numb our pain to the detriment of our joy. We can’t pick and choose which emotions to feel. We can feel one and feel them all, or numb one and feel none. The latter sounds unpleasant, if you ask me. I encourage you to feel, to take care of you, to do whatever it is that gets you through. Be kind to yourself, be patient with others, and hold onto hope that comes from knowing nothing is forever. This too shall pass. It’s the ebb and flow of being human.