Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Want to Go from OK to Awesome?

Thank you Corey for posting this honest comment.  It is wonderful to see that you are being sparked and engaged by this movement.  You speak for many of our readers who are struggling with the same question;
"I know it's not good to be critical of ourselves to the degree that many of us are.  However, isn't self improvement something we should all be striving for, each day of our lives?  I'm not saying that we're not good as we are, but I think that recognizing our innate power to achieve higher heights is one of the things that makes us great.  We have, and should want to exercise, the ability to change ourselves from ok to awesome."
I'm so grateful to Corey for being honest and saying aloud the concerns many people have in the back of their mind's when they hear " Be Kind to Yourself".  It is the challenge of our old way of thinking which says that we need to get more, do more, be more- essentially the result of the core belief, "I am not enough."  Oh yes, I know that one very well.  Been there, done that and I have the tee shirt to prove it :)  I remember clinging to those beliefs even though they clearly didn't work.  It was completely innocent but I had no idea such a belief was running my life.  Thinking that the only way I'd continue to find progress in my life was to berate or criticize myself only fed the core problem- I was disconnected from the true me- the core of who I am that already is everything I think I need to become.  I was never just 'ok' and neither are you.  Hear that?  There is a core within each of us that already is everything that we think we need to become.

The question Corey poses is how do we make sure we are always striving to go "from ok to awesome" and BKTY says you  already are awesome Corey.  You just didn't know it, haven't seen it consistently yet, perhaps are even afraid of your own awesome-ness.  Be kind to yourself does not mean that you remain stagnant and never grow.  In fact, if you try it you'll find that this has just the opposite effect.  You change everything within yourself that stands in the way of expressing your awesomeness.  And you make those changes from Love, from Kindness, because your sole motivation is an understanding that Awesome is what seeks to be expressed as you.

Here's the fact that our critical, judgmental egos want us to ignore:  When I change myself with Love and Kindness, the changes are positive and empowering.  When I change myself by nagging, making myself stupid or thinking that I need 'fixing', the changes are negative and self-defeating.

So Be Kind to Yourself and see how you thrive and grow.  Thanks again Corey, and y'all keep sending in the feedback - it's delicious to be engaged!

Love ya,
Rev. Sala




BKTY
Be Kind to Yourself Movement
www.BKTY.info

Inspiring the world to make the shift from self-criticism to 
Radical Self Love and Compassion







Wednesday, May 29, 2013

It's okay...


Photo: Put the mean critical voice in your head on an unpaid leave today. Be Kind to Yourself instead.



Put the mean critical voice in your head on an unpaid leave today. It's okay to give it yourself a break.



BKTY
Be Kind to Yourself Movement
www.BKTY.info

Inspiring the world to make the shift from self-criticism to Radical Self Love and Compassion.

Monday, May 27, 2013

The Science of Self Compassion



Photo: Compassion means to hold someone in your heart.  Self compassion is a practice of holding yourself in your own heart.   BKTY today!
                                                                                                                                                                   

"When you are compassionate with yourself,
you trust your soul, which you let guide your life. 
Your soul knows the geography of your destiny better than you do." 
-John O'Donohue

I don't know about you folks but I like some science to back up my spirituality.  Yes, I'm a minister because I can share what I know to be true from experience not just what I've heard or studied- no airy fairy stuff here.  I love the challenge of mixing in the scientific evidence that merges the fields and reminds us that all truth is essentially one and the same.

So, let's look at the facts behind this movement and the idea of self compassion.  What does that really mean?  It's really very simple; Compassion means to hold someone in your heart. Self compassion is a practice of holding yourself in your own heart. That could sound like intangible stuff, right? It certainly did to me once. Then I began testing my hypothetical self inquiry; What if we tried showing ourselves a little compassion instead of tearing ourselves down? What if we were actually kind to ourselves and believed that we are worthy?  And I saw that there is quite a bit of research supporting the movement and the results I saw personally and in my clients were astounding.

There’s a new field of research that says that self-compassion may be the most important life skill, imparting resilience, courage, energy and creativity.  BKTY- Be Kind to Yourself is the call to deeply know ourselves as the miraculous, sacred souls that we are and the permission to take compelling right actions to nurture and express that True Self in the world.

Just think about it- Due to our overly-competitive society, researchers speculate the tendency to choose self-punishment, rather than self-compassion, is on the rise. People often believe that punishing themselves will keep them in line and ultimately keep them safe.

Oh contraire! Self-criticism can lead to hostility, anxiety, and depression which are issues that can block us from realizing our full potential. Self-critics also report feeling like they have lower energy levels, and often subconsciously engage in self-sabotaging strategies, such as procrastination and overeating.

As for the type A overachievers out there, myself included, let’s just get it out in the open- our most common fear about becoming self-compassionate is that we will become weak willed, it will lower our performance standards and encourage laziness.

Think again- researchers have found that self-compassionate people are actually less likely to sit on the couch all day. All of this might begin to sound like you are indulging yourself, but researchers don't find that at all. People who practice self-compassion tend to have higher standards, work harder and take more personal responsibility for their actions.

So now we have the science to support the spirit.  Why did we ever believe the two were separate anyway??  Don't buy that hype :)  Be kind to yourself.  It's Science, it's Spirit, it Works.


From my heart to yours,

Rev. Sala