Week 3: Day 16

Week 3: Letting Go

Day 16: The Reverse Golden Rule

Summary: Although Burkeman admits that the very idea of self-compassion is cringeworthy, he urges us to try it. As an example, he uses a meditation teacher who one day decided to just do what she wanted to for a day. While many of us assume that we need to drive ourselves in order to accomplish anything, she actually did what she usually did, but on her own schedule and felt less drained and more joyful as a result. Burkeman urges us to be kinder to ourselves and see what happens.

           Like many, I have a complicated relationship with self-compassion, which seems to be all the rage in. I tend to believe that I’m ill equipped to navigate this world and unless I keep myself on a short leash, I’ll fall off a cliff. Although I read Kristin Neff’s famous book on the topic, I tend to view it as one of those books which, while helpful to others, would lead me to ruin.

Homework: Try self-compassion even if it makes me wince.