Five Kindnesses to Keep in Mind

This is a list of kindnesses that I try to keep in mind every day. To keep myself centered, whether in writing or in therapy. Some days, I do better than others. Maybe you could go for some kindness yourself, too.

You are more than a marketable skill.

You can't be rendered down to a single skill-set. You are worth more than what you can do for others. You are worth more than your output, creative or otherwise.

You are more than your job.

There's more to life than employment. There's more to you than your ability to retain employment. You're not here to work -- you're here to live. And employment should facilitate the means of your life and lifestyle, not consume every aspect of it. Try not to let people shame you for that.

You will never be satisfied with your work.

We're never going to reach The Peak we've imagined for ourselves, especially when it comes to creative work. We're never going to rest on our laurels and be forever content. Our lives are made of high summits and low valleys, and our work will always fall somewhere on this spectrum. Harness that essential dissatisfaction. Try to use it do better every time, for yourself and the work you're trying to produce.

You are allowed to feel overwhelmed.

Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it's scary. Sometimes you don't have the answers. You're not stone or steel, and it's okay to break down sometimes. It doesn't make you weak, or selfish, to take some time to feel these emotions. Feel what you have to feel, whenever you need to feel it.

You are allowed to be idle.

Just because you can work -- that you're physically or emotionally capable of taking something on -- doesn't mean you have to every time. Remember to take care of yourself.