The slippery slope of self-compassion.

We are familiar with the practice of compassion, but what does self-compassion look like?

Self-compassion is the act of giving yourself space.  Space to breath, space to experience strong emotions, space to fail.  It looks like tenderness and humility.  It means not taking yourself so damn seriously. 

But self-compassion is a slippery slope.

Are we being tender and humble, or are we closing down and protecting our self?  Are we giving ourselves space to work, or are we not engaging for fear of failure?  Are we allowing ourselves to be wrong and to not beat ourselves up about it, or are we caught up in how right we really are? 

Truly the greatest act of self-compassion that we can enact is to cut through the root of self-grasping.  That is a bold act, and one that is simultaneously compassionate for oneself and others. 

That is compassion as it abides and manifests. 

Go Back, and Learn.

Step back for a moment, from where you are, what you know.

Take a beginner's lesson in mathematics or programming at the Khan Academy.  Learn the proper technique used to row a boat.  Look up words you already know in the dictionary.

When you approach things you 'already know' with a beginner's mind, you discover all kinds of insight.  You see new connections.  You discover nuance, precision. 

The simplicity is refreshing.  The deliberateness humbling. 

What happens when we use this same mindset to approach our own anger, jealousy or fear?  Our preferences and perceptions?

If we deconstruct impatience, what does it look like?

What are the building blocks of anxiety and stress, is what we already know about them true?

Give yourself a chance to be a beginner again, with your self.

You may give rise to insight and understanding.  You may even feel refreshed.