[[Read about the previous three posts in this series here:

https://caramelcoaching.com/how-powerful-is-your-word/

https://caramelcoaching.com/it-is-not-you-it-is-them 

https://caramelcoaching.com/are-you-assuming-that-you-know-well-you-dont ]]

Most of us do not think twice when it comes to being kind to others. Because ‘being kind to others’ is seen as a virtue in most of the cultures.

When it is about being kind to ourselves, it is a different story altogether. Because ‘being kind to ourselves’ is often seen as selfishness.

We criticise and hold ourselves to awfully stringent standards. We somehow have this impression that if we do not do that, we are not doing our best in pursuing our goals.

 

There is a different way to practise. A better way.

 

We must hold ourselves to high standards but we do not have to continually criticise ourselves.

When we start living from a space of authenticity, which starts with accepting who we are, we can pursue high standards, without the self-critique.

Doing the best we can today and every day is what we must aspire for. And we must do it with integrity.

Don Miguel Ruiz explains this concept as the Fourth Agreement, ‘Always do your best’, in his book ‘The Four Agreements’: 

“Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keep in mind that your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the next. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good. When you wake up refreshed and energized in the morning, your best will be better than when you are tired at night.

Just do you best – in any circumstance in your life. It doesn’t matter if you are sick or tired, if you always do your best there is no way you can judge yourself. And if you don’t judge yourself there is no way you are going to suffer from guilt, blame and self-punishment.”

-Were you impeccable with your word today?

-Did you stay away from taking anything personally?

-Did you consciously not make assumptions today?

-Did you do your best?

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Interested in learning how to do your best every single day for the rest of your life so that you transform from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’?