cultivate compassion

Showing up requires compassion. Without it, we beat ourselves up with our internal critical voice.

Showing up to anything we do requires compassion.

As my kids head off to school today and need to navigate new buildings, new classes, new teachers I tell them it's okay if they don't know where to go or what to do.

It's okay to stand alone in the hallway before a class. It doesn't mean anything about who you are and how much you are loved.

It's okay to ask for help. People are genuinely nice.

Everything is new to them and if they need me for any reason, even if it's just to say "I'm scared. I feel embarrassed. I don't know what I'm doing." just text me or call me. I am right here for them. I won't be able to change anything for them. I don't want to. I just want to give them permission to feel whatever they are feeling. It's okay.

We all need to hear these words. We need to hear that anything we do, whether it's for the first time or the millionth time, it's okay to stumble and fall. It's okay to not know how to do something. It's okay to feel what we're feeling. It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to put ourselves out there. It's okay to fail.

Showing up to life, to our desires, to our soul's callings is scary. As we take the steps, the actions to making them happen we can re-parent that internal voice and allow love to soften the experience.

This is compassion.

Compassion is being in a space of love, allowing things to be as they are because we have been there before in our own way. It's recognizing the humanity in all of us.

As we take the steps, as we cultivate the practice of showing up even when we're scared, we can begin to uncover all the parts of ourselves that need a loving voice, a safe space and kind words.

With love,

Maria