Cover Your Mind With the Leather of Self-Compassion
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Cover
Your Mind With the
Leather of Self-Compassion
Cover Your Mind With the Leather of Self-Compassion
Our daily lives are full of rocks, thorns, and ice. These dangers are automatic negative thoughts about ourselves, others, and our experiences. An alternative way to live is self-compassionately. Self-compassion is caring for yourself the way you truly want to be cared for or treating yourself the way you genuinely want to be treated.
Cover Your Ming With The Leather of Self-Compassion
A long time ago, a man decided to hike up to three scenic overlooks. The path to the first overlook was rocky, and his feet were severely cut and bruised. He looked over the valley below, but he had to sit down because his feet hurt. Anxious to keep moving, he quickly left for the second vista.
Unfortunately, spiny weeds and brambles covered the trail to the second overlook. At the top, The man’s feet were so injured and swollen from the rocks, thistle, and burrs that he couldn’t sit still to take in the view. Instead, his body fidgeted, trying to get away from the pain in his feet. Soon though, hoping to distract himself from the pain, he set off for the third vista.
The path to the third overlook was up a steep mountain and covered with snow and ice. At first, the cold felt good, and he had some relief from the pain. However, his feet began to freeze, and the pain increased exponentially. By the top of the third overlook, his feet hurt so much that the man just wanted to be home and nurse his battered feet.
All three views were fantastic, but the pain he felt dominated his mind and quashed any joy from the beauty.
After limping home, he complained to his wife about the ordeal. He said that he would cover all three paths with leather next time and protect his feet the whole way. His wife could see his painful feet and how much discomfort he was enduring, so she did what she could to ease his pain. Then she asked him a question. “Instead of trying to cover the paths with expensive leather, why don’t you buy two thick leather squares and cover only your feet? Then, no matter where you go, your feet are protected.”
Cover Your Mind With the Leather of Self-Compassion
Our daily lives are full of rocks, thorns, and ice. These dangers are automatic negative thoughts about ourselves, others, and our experiences. Our brains mentally criticize everything, or ourselves, with irritation, anger, regret, and shame for how they or we behave.
Then we increase our suffering by yelling at ourselves or them for not acting the way we wanted. We punish ourselves further with disappointment and anger for feeling and thinking negative thoughts that are “wrong” or “unkind.” And, as if that still isn’t enough torture, we finally criticize ourselves for being so judgemental. Our brains stack negative emotions upon negative feelings.
No wonder we feel disappointed, disillusioned, and even unworthwhile.
An alternative way to live is self-compassionately
Self-compassion is caring for yourself the way you truly want to be cared for or treating yourself the way you genuinely want to be treated. Self-compassion protects us from the mental rocks, thistle, and ice that in our daily lives looks like anger, shame, regret, frustration, etc., or in other words, the negative feelings we endure.
We can learn to navigate our day-to-day lives more comfortably by covering our minds with the “leather” of self-compassion.
For example, the man’s wife did not experience the pain of her husband’s feet personally. She could see his injuries and bruises, and because she loved him, she felt concerned for him. In her wisdom, though, instead of making his pain her personal experience, she cared for his physical pain while soothing herself from her mind’s tendency to personalize his feelings. She did not add to her suffering by owning dynamics beyond her control. You, too, can learn this skill.
When things we don’t like happen, the initial affliction we feel is terrible enough. We don’t have to increase the torture with further unnecessary suffering.
You can learn how to treat yourself and love yourself
I can train you on how to be Self-Compassionate. You can learn how to treat yourself and love yourself the way you truly want to be treated and loved.
I teach individuals and groups how to cover their minds with leather so that no matter where they go in life, they can focus their energy on being the people they genuinely want to be. For you, whether the situation is a relationship you're in, office dynamics, your work/life balance, or any other event in your life, you can learn how to reframe your life for more satisfaction with self-compassion.
Please click on the link in the description to contact me, and share how you want your life to move forward. Also, please subscribe to my channel, or if you prefer, sign up for my newsletter and I'll email you when I post my next video.
May you have a peaceful day filled with grace and love.
February 16.2021
Dear Friend,
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