being kinder to yourself – can you switch to this in the moment?

Today on social media I unveiled the cover of my memoir. In this week’s newsletter, I had wanted to share with you an exclusive on the magical story of how the artwork for my cover came to be.

But tomorrow I get on a plane to fly to Melbourne and a national conference, where I am speaking on one of the core themes of my book. And there have been a lot of tasks to complete in the lead up to that over the past few days.

So…I had a rethink.

Having a rethink is kind of new for me, especially when I had my mind or heart set on doing something.

In the past, I would have been dogged about wanting to write that specific newsletter.
Even if it created a lot of time pressure for me and led me into rushing around like the proverbial blue-arsed fly.

Even if it created inner tension that I would inadvertently resolve by yelling at my husband for something or other.

Even if it meant I ignored my bodily needs, had no time for dinner, or ate without being present to my food.

In short: even if it meant me closing my heart and not stopping to even smell the roses my man gifted me this week, just to rigidly get something done that didn’t have to be.

The truth today is that for me to share that story and my learnings exclusively with you, my newsletter friends, as I would like to do, would take more crafting and more time and more creative energy than I have to give it right now.

Now of course this won’t bother YOU, I know!

But before now it would have not been OK for me.

For the past few weeks however I have been navigating with the kind of open heart that cares about the quality of the minutes in my day, the hours in my day, the days in my week.

For the past few weeks, I have been exploring being kinder to myself, recognising where I am not being that – and naming it as such.

For the past few weeks, I have been catching myself more and more over when I lump unnecessary stress or unkindness on myself in the moment. And I am becoming better at pressing pause and choosing again.

So my lovely friend, if my newsletter can serve you today with a gift from my heart to yours, then I hope it is with this question:

Where today have you been unkind to yourself in word, thought, or deed?

Stop it, wherever and whatever it has been.

Stop it even right now in this moment if need be.

Give yourself a hug.

Take a minute or two to simply sit in stillness, focus on your breath, be here now.

And then see what arises in your heart for you to do, or be, next.

Chances are your next choice in the moment will be a lot kinder and openhearted than before.:)