Far too many of us suffer from a lack of self-compassion. We often speak to ourselves in ways we would never speak to someone else. On today's episode we discuss our own struggles with self-compassion and explore ways we can become more self-compassionate people.
Questions for Personal or Group Reflection:
How kind are you to yourself? Bring into your mind the last few statements you've made directly to yourself over the last few hours or the past few days. Now consider:
"Self rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the beloved. Being the beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence."
Henry Nouwen
Have you ever considered that self-rejection can have a negative impact on you spiritually? If so, how have you noticed it affecting you?
If you struggle with negative self-talk, can you name when that started for you?
What seems to trigger your negative self-talk?
How would you rate your own self-compassion practice on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "I'm terrible at practicing self-compassion" and 10 being "I've never been hard on myself. Self-compassion is so easy for me!"
What intentional practices of self-compassion do you incorporate into your life? If you don't have any, will you choose one to begin practicing this week?
"Our brokenness is what needs to be accepted. Unfortunately, this is what we tend to reject. Here the seeds of a corrosive self-hatred take root. This painful vulnerability is the characteristic feature of our humanity that most needs to be embraced in order to restore our human condition to a healed state. The spiritual life begins with the acceptance of our wounded self." ~Brennan Manning, Abba's Child
Resource mentioned: Abba's Child by Brennan Manning
You might also like Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
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Embodied Holiness is a ministry of Parkway Heights United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg, MS. If you're in the Hattiesburg area and are looking for a church home, we'd love to meet you and welcome you to the family. You can find out more about Parkway Heights at our website.
