Kindness and Grace

Written by Kimberly Hall

Am I the only one who struggles with giving myself kindness and grace?  I’ve gotten better over the years, but there are times when my expectations for myself or for my life get too tightly wound.  If I’m honest with myself, it mostly happens when I don’t have control over a situation.  When things start to unravel for one reason or another, I immediately start questioning myself and thinking about what I could have done differently. I use to think about it over and over, rehash the situation with close friends, and even lose sleep over it sometimes.

But then one day, I had an “aha” moment. It hit me like a lightning bolt.  

I took a deep breath and prayed the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. 

Then I told myself, I am not perfect, things will happen, and I will be okay.

Finally, I asked myself, What’s the worst thing that can happen?  

When I realized it wasn’t anything life-threatening, I quietly snickered and said, “Kim, you are tripping for no reason . . . so relax!” 

I tend to give others compassion and kindness, but somehow, I forget that this applies to me as well.  Though I don’t always practice what I preach, I’m getting better with self-talk. I think to myself, What would I tell my son, family member or a close friend in this situation? I sometimes laugh to myself as I correct my self-talk, and if I’m out and about, I have to explain to others walking by that I’m talking to myself. It cracks me up, but it’s an essential reminder to give myself grace and to be kind to myself when things get tough.