“You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”  ~ Louise Hay

I hope this simple yet compelling suggestion from Hay has you nodding in agreement and saying to yourself, “True!” I know I did. How many self-deprecating thoughts do you think we have each day, whether they are out loud to someone else or internal to ourselves? A lot, right? Now we need to ask, “Has this negative talk made me improve upon the person that I am or just make me feel badly about myself?”

Right, most likely it’s the latter. So if it’s not making us better, then what’s the purpose of this critical self-talk? If it’s not helping then it must be hurting. And truthfully, life is difficult enough without you and me beating ourselves up daily for no purpose.

What does “approving of yourself” sound like? Try a few of these: “I did the best I could at the time.” “Hindsight is 20/20.” ‘It’s water under the bridge.” “Today is a new day!” “Look at me go!” “I’m giving it my all.” “I am adding value to the team.” “I’m smart, I can figure this out.” “I’m not perfect, but that’s OK, who is?” “I’m proud of who I am.”

So, don’t go down the rabbit hole of self-criticism, it hasn’t worked so far. Let’s all try a little self-approval…now look at you GO!

With Gratitude for you,
Beth