Fortunately, when we decide to hold our flawed humanity with compassion, everything changes. By responding to our own pain with a sense of kindness and connection, by soothing and comforting ourselves when faced with the imperfection of ourselves or our lives, we are creating new positive emotions that weren’t there a moment earlier. Instead of just feeling inadequate, we now feel both inadequate and connected in remembering this shared aspect of the human experience. Instead of just feeling sadness, we now feel both sadness and the sweet tenderness of concern for a wound that needs healing.
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