When I was in my late 40’s, my mother was upset with me and gave me back a large portrait of me from when I was 4 – she didn’t want it anymore.  While that upset me, I just shoved it in my closet without another thought. 

I saw it every day, and I kept thinking about how I had been rejected. How she had been rejected. And I used this as reasoning to beat myself up – over and over.

Then one day as I was beating myself up, I looked and I suddenly saw her – the 4-year-old.  And I was stunned.  That was who I was beating up?! 

She did not deserve that – I had the overwhelming urge to protect her from my disparaging words. 

And then it clicked.  I needed to protect me from those disparaging words. 

If you are struggling to have compassion for yourself or love yourself, find a picture of yourself as a kid (find a picture that you find sweet and cute and one that will inspire you to want to protect that little one). Realize that when you are beating yourself up today, you are beating up that precious little child. Maybe that will help inspire you to stop saying awful things to yourself.