Quotes About Self-compassion

The foundation of metta practice is to know how to be our own friend. According to the Buddha, "You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

You are a person worthy of love. You don't have to do anything to prove that.

With the practice of meditation we can develop this ability to more fully love ourselves and to more consistently love others.

With mindfulness, loving kindness, and self-compassion, we can begin to let go of our expectations about how life and those we love should be.

The difference between a life laced through with frustration and one sustained by happiness depends on whether it is motivated by self-hatred or by real love for oneself.

Even as we recognize our resentment, bitterness, or jealousy, we can also honor our own wish to be happy, to feel free.

When we relate to ourselves with loving kindness, perfectionism naturally drops away.

Wholehearted acceptance is a basic element of love, starting with love for ourselves, and a gateway to joy. Through the practices of loving kindness and self-compassion, we can learn to love our flawed and imperfect selves. And in those moments of vulnerability, we open our hearts to connect with each other, as well. We are not perfect, but we are enough.

Sit comfortably, in a relaxed way, and close your eyes. As much as possible, let go of analysis and expectation. For ten to fifteen minutes, call to mind something you have done or said that you feel was a kind or good action—a time you were generous, or caring, or contributed to someone's well-being. If something comes to mind, allow the happiness that may come with the remembrance. If nothing comes to mind, gently turn your attention to a quality you like about yourself.

Mindfulness is so much wiser and more robust than our inner critic.

When we direct a lot of hostile energy toward the inner critic, we enter into a losing battle.

The good news is that opportunities for love enter our lives unpredictably, whether or not we've perfected self-compassion or befriended our inner critic.

Taking responsibility for oneself is by definition an act of kindness.

We're in charge of our own forgiveness, and the process takes time, patience, and intention.

It is not the perfect, but the imperfect, who have need of love." And that means every last one of us.

Real Love for ourselves by definition includes every aspect of our lives—the good, the bad, the difficult, the challenging past, the uncertain future, as well as all the shameful, upsetting experiences and encounters we'd just as soon forget.

The wholesome pursuit of excellence feels quite different from perfectionism.

When we contemplate the miracle of embodied life, we begin to partner with our bodies in a kinder way.

No matter what we think we should do, I don't think you can coerce yourself into loving your neighbor—or your boss—when you can't stand him. But if you try to understand your feelings of dislike with mindfulness and compassion, being sure not to forget self-compassion, you create the possibility for change.

We can use meditation as a way to experiment with new ways of relating to ourselves, even our uncomfortable thoughts.

Letting go of the belief that we're powerless to help relieve our own suffering enhances our ability not only to heal but also to genuinely love and receive the love of others.

The notion of loving oneself has gotten an undeservedly bad rap, which goes something like this: self-love is narcissistic, selfish, self-indulgent, the supreme delusion of a runaway ego looking out for "number one." In fact, just the opposite is true.

Living in a story of a limited self—to any degree—is not love.

Laughing at your pettiness probably works better than scolding yourself for it.