I alway make a point of telling my students that they need to be kind to themselves. “It makes no sense to be impatient with yourself,” I tell them during workshops I teach, “You are the most important person in your life. Be nice to you.” I even write it in my class handouts.
It can be difficult to remember to take care of ourselves first. I’m reminded of the flight attendant’s instruction to first place the emergency oxygen mask over your own face before tending to your children. Outside pressures and responsibilities can interfere in our artistic lives, making it difficult to find the time and space that we need to fulfill our creative passions. When we can’t do that, we creative types tend to get cranky. And then those around us can get impatient with us.
But it’s unrealistic to expect our friends and loved ones to be kind, thoughtful and caring towards us, if we can’t manage to feel those very things for ourselves.
Thought for today . . . be nice. Give yourself a pat on the back for all that you have accomplished, and go easy on yourself for the things that may not be exactly as you’d like them to be. Things will change. They always do.