Shame, the great force of disconnection. The voice in me that says:

You are not human today, it's not ok.

You were wrong and will be wrong no matter what,

You will always be too much or too little.

Not enough!

Free yourself, go ahead, do it already!

Do it perfectly!

You are not trying hard enough,

Don't embarrass yourself now.

With all that feeling that you have,

It's not normal, you know.

To have feelings and show them to people

To splatter all that gook all over the place.

Clean it up already!

It's dirty and disgusting.

Where are you now?

Haven't I taught you to how to precisely express yourself!

Why is it that you are not happy?

Why don't you have what you need?

I'm lonely too.

Wiki Article

What is the purpose of your relationship?

Do you have one?

In this interview, Matthew Alexander Sloane speaks to a man (anonymously referred to as "Michael") who very intentionally got into a relationship for the purpose of personal development.

Right up front, he and his girlfriend made an agreement that they would get together for the purpose of learning and working on themselves.

Like many relationships, it's been an emotional roller coaster — but the benefits of their unique and conscious approach might surprise you.

I am learning that I need safe intimacy that is free of judgements and expectations to support my growth.

Human, be with kindness and compassion!

Definitions:

Human - Of the nature of the human race; that is a human, or consists of human beings; belonging to the species Homo sapiens or other (extinct) species of the genus Homo. Having or showing the qualities distinctive of or commonly attributed to human beings.

Be - To have one's existence in a certain state or condition; to sit, stand, remain, etc., in stated circumstances.

Kindness - Kind feeling; a feeling of tenderness or fondness; affection, love.

[Self] Compassion - Self-compassion is extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering.

Kristin Neff has defined self-compassion as being composed of three main components - self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.

• Self-kindness. Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism. Self-compassionate people recognize that being imperfect, failing, and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable, so they tend to be gentle with themselves when confronted with painful experiences rather than getting angry when life falls short of set ideals. People cannot always be or get exactly what they want. When this reality is denied or fought against suffering increases in the form of stress, frustration and self-criticism. When this reality is accepted with sympathy and kindness, greater emotional equanimity is experienced.
• Common humanity. Frustration at not having things exactly as we want is often accompanied by an irrational but pervasive sense of isolation – as if “I” were the only person suffering or making mistakes. All humans suffer, however. The very definition of being “human” means that one is mortal, vulnerable and imperfect. Therefore, self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering and personal inadequacy is part of the shared human experience - something that we all go through rather than being something that happens to “me” alone. It also means recognizing that personal thoughts, feelings and actions are impacted by “external” factors such as parenting history, culture, genetic and environmental conditions, as well as the behavior and expectations of others. Thich Nhat Hahn calls the intricate web of reciprocal cause and effect in which we are all imbedded “interbeing.” Recognizing our essential interbeing allows us to be less judgmental about our personal failings. After all, if we had full control over our behavior, how many people would consciously choose to have anger issues, addiction issues, debilitating social anxiety, eating disorders, and so on? Many aspects of ourselves and the circumstances of our lives are not of our choosing, but instead stem from innumerable factors (genetic and/or environmental) that we have little control over. By recognizing our essential interdependence, therefore, failings and life difficulties do not have to be taken so personally, but can be acknowledged with non-judgmental compassion and understanding.
• Mindfulness. Self-compassion also requires taking a balanced approach to our negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated. This equilibrated stance stems from the process of relating personal experiences to those of others who are also suffering, thus putting our own situation into a larger perspective. It also stems from the willingness to observe our negative thoughts and emotions with openness and clarity, so that they are held in mindful awareness. Mindfulness is a non-judgmental, receptive mind state in which one observes thoughts and feelings as they are, without trying to suppress or deny them. We cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion for it at the same time. At the same time, mindfulness requires that we not be “over-identified” with thoughts and feelings, so that we are caught up and swept away by negative reactivity.

Source: Self-Compassion