Blog #730: Belittle Yourself Much?

I reached the end of my hike and came across
two preschoolers playing on a giant dirt hill.

With their dad keeping a watchful eye on them…
I shouted to the boy who had reached the top.

“Are YOU the king of the mountain?”

He shouted back:
“No. I’m the kin’ of the dirt!”

______

Undoubtedly…

The little guy has yet to think much about the words he uses to describe himself.

But you and I?

We have grown into being exceptional in the art of self-berating and belittling.

______

In the last month…

I received multiple messages from multiple people:

#1: “I’m meant to fail forever.”

#2. “I don’t feel amazing.”

#3. “I didn’t get this one either. I suck.”

#4. “I’m too old.”

Each message…easy to relate to.

None of the messages…helpful to live with.

______

BUT…

Hearing my own mean and hard self-thinking “sh*t” for too many years pushed me to now do this.

I add…

A “comma.”

And then a “but.”

One after the other.

“… , but …”

______

Let me color it in.

“I failed today, but I’m not a failure.”

“I didn’t exercise today, but I will tomorrow.”

“I didn’t get this one, but I might get the next.”

“I’m old, but I still have lots of value to add.”

Whatever it IS that you love to angrily whisper and beat yourself up with…

Add a “comma.”

Then a “but.”

______

Undoubtedly…

Going hard on myself HAS pushed me up a couple of “mountains.” But I am also aware that if I am consistently TOO hard on myself, I am FAR more likely to stare at mountaintops…rather than reach them.

Here’s a new strategy for walking through life.

When you start talking hard crap to yourself about yourself…

How about adding a touch of softness, too?

That’s a “comma.”

Then a “but.”

S.

(Audio version)