Keith JonesJanuary 27, 2016

I have fallen in the camp of being a perfectionist most of my life. That was until I became part of an amazing community that offers compassion, empathy and unconditional love and support to every single member. Thanks to them, this former perfectionist no longer beats himself up for broken promises or missed goals. Influenced by personal development work and great friends, I practice apologizing to those I’ve let down, learning from the experience and committing to be better moving forward.

Being kind to oneself is not something most people do. Instead, we say some of the harshest things to ourselves. I listened to a recent podcast in which the speaker said, “You would never speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself. The things we say to ourselves are so negative and full of blame and judgment.” This is so true. We know from research that people respond positively to encouragement. However, we rarely give that to ourselves if we fail at some things. I think that’s because we believe failure is the end game. It’s not. It’s simply a necessary part of the journey to be your best.

Since joining my amazing community of friends, I’ve achieved big goals and developed meaningful relationships. Along the way, they picked me up when I fell woefully short on commitments. Touched and inspired by their unconditional love, I began to create a loving relationship with myself. I am kinder to me. I am thankful for my talents and accepting of my many flaws. I pass no judgment on myself. And while I still hold myself to a high standard, I follow the same advice I give to friends. If an expectation isn’t met, simply clear the space by acknowledging the shortcoming, apologizing for any broken commitment, learning from it and making a promise to improve next time. By consistently practicing this level of kindness, I am free to be grow and thrive.

Changing the world is serious business. We need everyone to be at their best. And that starts with treating your body, mind and spirit with infinite love and kindness. Make sure you speak lovingly to yourself. Everyone wins when you do; especially you.

Keith