“I noticed that you don’t talk about progress in your work.” I said, “No. I don’t see the soul moving in a linear way, from point A to point B. Sometimes it moves downward or sideways, sometimes it regresses, and at other times it holds still and doesn’t move. Progress is one of our culture’s most cherished fictions, but it can do great harm when applied to the life of the soul. As soon as we are not moving forward or progressing, we feel something is wrong and that we are failing, so we redouble our efforts. What self-compassion offers us is the space and breath to listen and take notice of
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