"Be Kind to Yourself"

I heard some of the most amazing advice this morning at Mom2Mom while sitting with a group of ladies in different stages of motherhood. So many wonderful things were said but one thing keeps replaying over and over in my mind. The Mommy that was sharing said, "Be kind to yourself." 

Wow! 

Now I know that doesn't seem like an overly profound thought but for me, it's really something I've never considered. I'll just be honest, I am incredibly hard on myself, all the time for every reason I can come up with. I am mean to myself about the way I look, the way I feel, the things I don't get done, the mistakes I make, the opinion others *might* have about me, the lack of healthy meals I make, the mess around the house, my impatience, my parenting and so on and so on.

Everyone has that inner voice that talks to them, well my inner voice is a mean girl. Not about other people, just about myself. I would never talk to anyone else the way I talk to myself. So hearing those 4 simple words strung together in a sentence today really was profound, for me at least. I need to be kind to myself. Yes, to myself. Being so hard on myself doesn't do any good anyway. When has that ever helped in any situation? 

Today I am thankful for the ladies that God has placed in my life. If I listen carefully, they are always speaking words of wisdom and love over me, and God can use those words to help me become the person He created me to be. He doesn't want me to treat myself so poorly. He loves me and created me in His image. I shouldn't be so mean to myself. I am also thankful for this simple assignment God has given me. It could probably make a huge difference in  my life. Maybe it's an assignment all of us Mommies should take on. It's pretty simple, I guess. Just be kind to yourself.