Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.
― Rumi
Humans can be cruel beings. This is made abundantly clear every time I turn on the news.
With that being said, humans can also be loving, kind, compassionate and empathetic beings. Stories of kindness may not always be as easy to see, but they are there.
Now I am not naive. I do understand that there is a big difference between being kind and being nice. Nice is to be agreeable. I am not saying we should all go around and blindly agree with each other. But I do think we could be more humane, considerate and empathetic. Being kind is to be humane.
So why I am telling you all this?
Because kindness is powerful.
And our world needs more kindness. If we want a kind world, we have to first be kind to ourselves. We must love ourselves in order to love and be loved.
I know this can be difficult especially when you’ve had a particularly horrible day. It can be hard if you just lost your job and you are feeling hopeless. It can be hard to love yourself when you feel fat and you don’t even recognize yourself in the mirror anymore. When you have those days it is easy to dive right into that bottle of Pinot Grigio or start binge watching Netflix until your eyes burn.
But you don’t have to resort to watching old seasons of Modern Family.
There is a simple yet profound alternative. It’s called a metta (or lovingkindness) meditation. This meditation can help you reserve and focus your positive vibes. It can help you learn to love yourself. And it can help you approach the world with more empathy.
It can even help with fear. According to legend, Buddha was taught lovingkindness as the direct antidote to fear.
There are many studies explaining the benefits of metta meditation. But reading about meditation isn’t the same thing as doing it.
Don’t take my word for it.
Try it yourself.
Here is a great lovingkindness meditation from Susan Piver.
I challenge you this month to embrace radical self-care. I challenge you to look for love. I challenge you to love yourself.
Everyday for the next week give yourself fifteen minutes to do a meditation of your choice. Maybe the metta meditation works for you or maybe you prefer a non-guided meditation. Either way commit to sit! Open your heart and make a nice comfy spot for yourself in there. I would love to hear how this goes for you. Please send me an email or leave me a comment.
With gratitude,
Chris
P.S. Need a little extra love today? GET MORE LOVE HERE.