You think it's you, don't you?

I had a conversation recently about how hard we are on ourselves. If you are someone who strives for more on a daily basis, even just a little more effort or a little more sleep :) then there are a million chances to be disappointed. You are not moving fast enough. You are not trying hard enough. You are not smart enough, young enough, old enough, motivated enough, disciplined enough. Here is a simple yet affective tactic I use to stop my negative self talk from derailing me. What would you say to 10 year old you? What would you say to your daughter? Your son? Your best friend? Your partner? Would you tell them they aren't good enough? My possibly naive assumption is no, no you would not. You would say, things like hey, don't be so hard on yourself, look at how much you have accomplished. Look at how far you have come. How can I help you figure this out? What if, my dear friend, you used that much grace and patience toward yourself? You are an incredible person, look at all you have done. Remind yourself of that once in awhile and give yourself permission to learn and move in your own time. Remember, your brain believes everything you tell it. Today, tell it beautiful things.