Self-Compassion

Growing up, many of us were taught that leading a happy and fulfilled life meant that we cannot feel happy and sad at the same time. That we cannot experience gratitude and pain simultaneously. Pain had to be avoided or „made go away“. At all cost.

But there is hardly ever a situation in life where „either/or“ is applicable - not with emotions at least. With emotions it‘s usually „both... and“. 

Usually - because we have grown up with the belief that sadness or anger are „negative“ emotions - we try to keep them away from us. But life is non-exclusive in terms of emotion: it‘s ok to feel sad or angry. It doesn‘t mean that „something‘s wrong“ with us or that we might „fall apart“ if we let the emotion wash over us. We can dare to feel. Everything. 

But we don‘t have to do it alone. It‘s ok to be needing help, to ask for help and to receive help. There is always a reason why we feel what we feel - even if  this reason is not consciously tangible.

I believe self-compassion happens the moment I allow myself to experience all my emotions, without judging them - or me - for having them. In doing so, I acknowledge their value and the fact that there‘s always a legitimate reason why they show up. 

And allowing myself to be this permeable and vulnerable is a very brave thing to do.