Resolve to be kind…. to yourself

It’s the eve of a new year. 2021 was…something. It’s hard to think of a few words to describe it, but we can probably all agree it wasn’t the easiest year (yes, that is an understatement). 

Two years into pandemic living may find you tired, despairing, frustrated, bored and more. And profoundly aware of how much you don’t have control over. 

As you approach 2022, are you thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions? Often these resolutions are a list of what you don’t like about yourself. If you could just make yourself do X (exercise more, eat better, lose weight) then you would be a better person. This year more than ever it’s tempting to lean hard into the things we seem to have some measure control over. 

But using force to change yourself almost never works out. Take a quick mental review of your previous new years’ resolutions to see how many actually came to pass. Likely few to none. 

So why not try a new approach this year?
Resolution for 2022:  “I will be kind to myself.” 

Start with the premise that you are fine, just as you are, right this moment. Allow that concept into your body and being. That may be hard to do. Likely there will be sorts of inner voices criticizing you, listing all manner of reasons you are not OK. 

But set those voices aside for a moment and try on the concept of “I’m fine” just for a few minutes. Wear it like a new coat - you can take it off later, but allow yourself to feel what it feels like to be OK. 

If you breathe into this for a moment, you will likely start to feel a sense of relaxation, a sense of settling into yourself. 

This is what it feels like to resolve to be kind to yourself.
Ease, relaxation and flow.

And the interesting thing is that if you choose to be kind to yourself each time those inner voices start up, if you choose to wrap yourself in kindness in response to them, over time you will make changes in your life. 

Not because you forced yourself to, but because you allowed yourself the spaciousness to be yourself as you are right now. 

From true being comes true action.