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With self-compassion, we give ourselves the same kindness and care we’d give to a good friend.
--Dr. Kristin Neff
What is Success? What does compassion have to do with success,
and why is it imperative to get to the root?
There are 3 main reasons why we all need to practice self compassion and how it leads to the success we desire.
1. Success is a Personal experience and you need to love yourself to get there
Success is personally defined by that which is most important to you. For example--if your definition of success is to be a calm and present parent, and you are one according to your standards and values, you are successful. Or, if owning a thriving business is an example of success by your unique definition, You are Successful.
The Personal Development Mentor, Bob Proctor, teaches that ‘Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. — Earl Nightingale. Earl, who was one of Bob Proctor's mentors, arrived at that definition in 1959 after seventeen years of intensive research. Bob fell in love with this definition because it is in perfect harmony with the laws of the universe.’ In order to reach your success goals, and sustain your success, loving yourself is mandatory. You must start at the beginning...in other words, it all starts with YOU.
2. Being Your own best friend keeps you focused on You
Compassion for yourself is friendship with yourself. Wikipedia states that Self-compassion ‘is extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering’.
If you examine your relationship with yourself closely it may be obvious to you that you are the #1 person in your own life first and foremost. So, it only makes sense that you have to be kind to yourself first. If you do not, you won’t be in good shape to bring your Great Work to the world.
Being your own best friend means you treat yourself the way you would a cherished friend. We love how Deepak Chopra’s website offers A Checklist to learn and practice self compassion.
3. Compassion for Self helps the World
When you learn to apply Self Compassion You become increasingly more compassionate with others and this helps the world. When you help the world, your personal success is magnified by your generosity and there is no limit to what you can do!Dr. Kristin Neff explores how self compassion helps the individual AND the collective simultaneously when she discusses the ‘two faces of self compassion’ in her book: Fierce Self Compassion,
"Tender and Fierce:
If tender self-compassion is metaphorically like a parent soothing his crying child, fierce self-compassion is like Momma Bear who ferociously protects her cubs when threatened, or catches fish to feed them, or moves them to a new territory with better resources. Just as tenderness can be turned inward so that we nurture and care for ourselves, the fierce energy of Momma Bear can also be turned inward to stand up for ourselves. What’s essential is that like yin and yang, these two faces of self-compassion are balanced and integrated so that we can be whole. When both are present, it creates a caring force that can be used to transform ourselves and the world around us".--Dr. Kristin Neff, Fierce Self Compassion.
I want to help you begin or continue your self compassion journey. I have a special Compassion Meditation I would like to share with you. Please grab it below and listen to it as often as you need.
Ready to start your self-compassion journey?
We want you to be successful within your unique definition of compassion. To get you started, here is a FREE Compassion Meditation written and recorded by me from my very popular Red Telephone Booth Meditations album.
