Remember that if you really want to motivate yourself, love is more powerful than fear.
– Kristin Neff

Today’s message is contributed by Chris Kiewra, assistant professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Child, Youth, and Family Studies Department, and Dimensions board member.

The quintessential question of self-compassion is “What do I need right now?” and more specifically “What do I need to help alleviate my suffering?”  Dr. Kristin Neff’s website offers information about self-compassion, as well as research, guided practices, and even a way to test your own self-compassion level. She describes two kinds of self-compassion we all need. First, tender self-compassion which involves “being with” ourselves in an accepting way: comforting ourselves, reassuring ourselves that we aren’t alone, and being present with our pain. Second, fierce self-compassion involving  “acting in the world” to alleviate suffering.  If tender self-compassion is metaphorically like a parent soothing his crying child, fierce self-compassion is like Momma Bear who ferociously protects her cubs when threatened, or catches fish to feed them, or moves them to a new territory with better resources. Just as tenderness can be turned inward so that we nurture and care for ourselves, the fierce energy of Momma Bear can also be turned inward to stand up for ourselves. Balancing and integrating both types of self-compassion creates a caring force for transforming ourselves and the world around us.`

How can you incorporate more self-compassion in your life? What would it look like in your teaching?