What a wonderful prompt for this week; when I saw this prompt, I asked a friend the difference between self-compassion and being selfish. It looks similar, yes, but they have different meanings, although some regard self-compassion as being selfish. To my knowledge, self-compassion is being kind and understanding towards oneself in instances of pain or failure rather than being harshly self-critical. Once one comes to the understanding that imperfections are part of the human shared experience rather than seeing one's problems as barriers stopping one from relating to others, then practicing self-compassion will be easy.
Image is mine
Self-compassion is a factor that improves one's mental health and emotional well-being as well as personal growth. When one is self-compassionate, being able to cope with failures won't be an issue of concern. There won't be a need to exaggerate failures or see them as determining factors for living. While going through difficult times, a self-compassionate person won't break down, forgetting there is a brighter future if there is life.
Self-compassion requires that we care for our well-being and happiness with the same love, care, and warmth we show to a friend in distress. When we are self-compassionate, we acknowledge our failures and work towards a better future instead of wallowing in sorrow and remaining stagnant at a point. To the best of my knowledge, self-compassion reduces self-criticism, and we learn from mistakes to improve ourselves healthily.
In this present generation, I believe we are more self-compassionate than our forefathers. The reason why I said this is that I was opportune to live with my grandmother (paternal), and while living with her, I learned great lessons that are serving as lamps to my feet today. My grandmother is someone who doesn't practice self-compassion; instead, she is always after the other person's happiness. Countless times, I've seen her give out the food she will eat despite being hungry. I'm always amazed at the kind of human being she is; she puts smiles on many faces daily at the expense of her happiness and comfort, which not everyone can do. Before some people think or deem it fit to help another person, they would have taken good and more than enough care of themselves. This is why it seems humanity is lost in this generation.
Well, to live a happy and fulfilled life, practicing self-compassion is very important; love yourself, do things that make you happy, and live every day with good vibes and energy. With that, there wouldn't be room for depression. Self-compassion involves having kindness and understanding towards oneself rather than harsh self-criticism when facing challenges, personal failures, or pain. The ability to acknowledge mistakes or shortcomings while still maintaining a sense of self-worth is a great way to practice self-compassion.
Being self-compassionate doesn't connote selfishness; it's just a way of finding happiness even in the face of uncertainties. People tend to lose themselves when going through tough times in life; practicing self-compassion helps come out of the bad days.
Thanks for your time, and your comments will be appreciated.