Talking to myself is the most critical part of my life- at least that's what everyone says. I even tell my own daughters this. I think it so interesting how as humans we can be so kind and forgiving to others, and yet so unkind and mean to ourselves. I'm not sure where this propensity comes from, but we all have this, some stronger than others. How do we re-train ourselves to be different- to be kind and forgiving to ourselves? I suppose just like anything else in life, work at it.
So what do you tell yourself everyday? Even the world has messed this up because if you get up everyday and tell yourself you are a rockstar and then the people in the world get a whiff of your confidence- you are labeled as arrogant. If you have any kind of doubt or questioning about yourself, then you are weak. Do you see what's happening here? The expectation is to be above these thoughts- perfect. AND there is no such thing. Is there really a balance? From one day to the next depending on what the task at hand is or circumstances are, your thoughts vary, your confidence varies, in order to get yourself prepared. But in this dog eat dog world, there is no room for any of it. Therein lies the negative self talk- I am not enough because I am not perfect, I have made mistakes, I have fallen, I have disappointed many, I have gone the wrong way, I have gotten lost, I have made the same catastrophic choice twice or more, and there is no room for correction because I am supposed to be perfect. This is what we tell ourselves. We even believe this is what God expects of us, as if He sits upon His throne looking down upon us disappointed and shaking His head, even turning His back. How could God still love me? How could anyone love me? BUT, the good news is, this is NOT how God feels about any of us at all. The unkindness we may feel about ourselves and even others does not come from Him at all. The opposite is true- God's love is so infinite that no matter what we have done, He still loves us. I guess what they say about Jesus is true, to be a little more like Jesus just may save you. Being like Jesus, is loving myself, because He loves me even if I am not perfect- even if I do not check all the boxes life has formed. So even if you can't find the words to be kind to yourself today, let Jesus say to you, you are loved- you are enough. After some training and practice, your self talk will sound a little more like Jesus.
