Be Gentle

This week has been a particularly tough week in the news. It is hard to know how to process everything going on in our cultural climate where there are attacks everywhere. I often don’t know how to respond. One thing I’m learning about myself though, is that what I really need the most during these times is just to be gentle.

So often…I’m not gentle. I pushed myself hard this past year. Too hard actually. And I’ve felt it in my body. And those sneaking thoughts have crept in… did I do enough? Did I write enough? Did I paint enough? Did I reach out to enough people? Am I pretty enough? Successful enough? Popular enough? Did I network with the right people to make something something of myself?

Do you relate?

I want to be more gentle with myself. And I want to be more gentle with others. And I want others to be more gentle with me. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could all just take a deep breath? I’ve been breathing a lot more lately. And I’m really and truly hoping to live more gently in the coming weeks and days. It feels good to stop picking at myself/others, and starting loving more.