Maybe don't be so hard on yourself

Personally, I can attest to being under the wrong assumption that being hard on myself will push me to better. To a degree, it might be true, but at what cost? And are the results I'm seeking through self-degradation actually what I want? Or is there a bigger-picture approach?

These were questions I've asked myself in the past few years. I used to cringe at the term "self-love." I thought it was for softies. I'd think to myself, "Ok, you go do your self-love stuff while I'm getting shit done." But what I found was that no matter what I achieved, I was still unhappy, and on top of that, I wasn't enjoying the process. That's when I got on the self-love train and found that actually, it provides more energy and freedom to pursue my dreams than being hard on myself ever could.

Here's one of my favorite written pieces on self-love from the book, Inward, by Yung Pueblo.

self-love begins with the acceptance of where we are now and the history we carry, but it does not stop there. self-love is an energy we use for our own personal evolution; it is a meeting and balance of two critically important ideas: loving who we currently are and simultaneously transforming into the ideal version of ourselves. though these ideas may seem contradictory, they are both required for our ultimate success. without acceptance, our transformation into a happier and freer self would be highly difficult. why? because it is much harder to change and let go of what we hate.

self-love helps us delve deeply into ourselves and release the patterns in our subconscious that impact our behavior and emotions. true self-love is when one understands that the inward journey is the path to freedom, that observing and releasing our inner burdens is what will make us feel lighter and more aware. self-love does not grow the ego; it does the opposite. it is our ego that carries the craving that causes our suffering -- the incessant craving that rests at the center of the ego is the ultimate block that stops us from achieving freedom.

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You can find the book, Inward, by Yung Pueblo, on Amazon (this is an affiliate link) https://amzn.to/3mOhhMc