The way that we talk to ourselves matters, a lot! We’re typically our worst enemies when we should be our biggest cheerleaders. It can be easy to fall into a cycle of self-criticism, self-doubt, and sometimes, even self-hate. Our minds are always wondering, and for most of us, we can fall into a pattern of unhelpful and harmful thinking. Take a moment to reflect. How do you usually speak to yourself? Are you encouraging, compassionate, and kind? Or are you over-critical or negative?
If you find that you fall into the over-critical and negative category, don’t sweat it. It’s a shared experience. Luckily, we all can shift our thought patterns into more positive, uplifting, and optimistic modes of thinking. We challenge you to join us in writing a letter to yourself focusing on shifting narratives, expectations, forgiveness, and acceptance.
Need some inspiration? Keep reading to see what I want my best self to know and keep in mind this year.
To Myself…
Dear me, I’m so proud of you! Your ability to persevere is inspirational. Your resiliency and drive to keep pushing forward is one of a kind. Let’s think about how we can improve our well-being this year. For starters, setting clear expectations and goals is so important. It keeps us on track and helps us stay accountable. We should also consider shifting our narrative to a healthier, more uplifting one. There’s no reason to be so hard on ourselves! Let’s also work on forgiving ourselves for anything weighing us down and accepting ourselves exactly as we are.
Expectations/Goals
Shifting Narratives
Forgiveness
Acceptance
This year, I give myself permission to set expectations and goals for myself. Expectations and goals are vital as they keep me on track, give me something to work towards, and help me hold myself accountable. Expectations and goals should be healthy and attainable. For example, a healthy expectation for myself looks like this: I set the expectation to give myself the time and space daily to take care of my mental health. This expectation is healthy because it puts importance on mental health care well-being. It’s attainable because I can set aside time and space daily.
I know goal setting can be intimidating, but I am capable! The first step in creating my goals is identifying them. What can I work towards that will make me happier and healthier? What is something I would like to achieve? Dream big, but dream attainable. Once I identify my goal, I need to break it down into multiple parts to avoid feeling too overwhelmed or intimidated. Now that my goal is set and I’ve broken it down into multiple parts, I’m ready to begin working toward it. I vow to treat myself with love, compassion, and patience while working on my goals.
Shifting Narratives
This one is big! The days of me being overly critical and negative towards myself are over. Shifting narratives includes shifting thought patterns. Usually, when I make a mistake, I respond by feeling down on myself. Holding myself accountable and taking responsibility is important, but being overly harsh on myself is not. I vow to shift the narratives in my mind this year to healthier, uplifting thoughts.
The next time I make a mistake, I will remind myself that it’s okay and mistakes are a normal part of life. I will remind myself that I’m not a failure and I am not a flawed human for making a mistake. Shifting the narrative allows me to assess the situation better and recognize ways that I can do better next time.
Forgiveness
When was the last time I forgave myself? This year, I vow to get into the habit of practicing self-forgiveness. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, and that’s okay. Practicing forgiveness may feel unfamiliar or unusual, but I know it will become easier with time. I forgive myself for all the past mistakes I have made. I forgive myself for not knowing better at certain times and for acting in ways that I’m not proud of. Practicing self-forgiveness will boost my self-esteem, self-love, and overall well-being.
Forgiving myself is important, and forgiving others is also important. Carrying around grievances towards others will only bring me down. With forgiveness comes freedom.
Acceptance
This year, I vow to accept myself exactly as I am. I will no longer pine about who I think I’m supposed to be or what others think I should be. I will instead actively choose to accept myself as I am. Self-acceptance doesn’t mean I have to love every single part of me at all times; it just means I accept myself as I am.
I also vow to accept things and others exactly as they are. It can be easy to get stuck holding on to what I wish something was like or get lost in thought about how things could be. Choosing to accept things as they are allows me to live in the present moment, which is a peaceful place to be.
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