Self-compassion is critical to self-improvement for without it key lessons in life are discarded and ignored.
The road to redemption begins when you initially realise you are on the wrong path and yet once that is recognised you need to be able to forgive yourself before you will be prepared to learn from the mistake that put you there.
Our own self-compassion is often assigned to others but rarely is it given to ourselves. How often do we feel sorry for a friend or colleague’s misfortune, offering them compassion, help and advice but if the same misfortune fell upon ourselves we are likely to beat ourselves up over it.
It is very common for most of us to punish ourselves for our own mistakes and weaknesses. We don’t forgive ourselves and allow ourselves to move on. Moving on and looking forward means we are able to recognise and embrace our faults and weaknesses and use this to begin to redress them.
So many will often focus on the past and why we did what we did, going over it in our heads, analysing each conversation again and again. This prevents us from being prepared to open ourselves up to new learning that will inevitably bring a better future.
Self-compassion is a key component of personal development and the ability to realise ‘why’ we do something allows us to develop and change our ways in order improve and become more successful.
Those who never think they are wrong, never learn and never have the need to develop themselves. Only those who acknowledge their weaknesses and the need to improve and develop truly exploit life’s opportunities.
Learning how to be self-compassionate is a key leadership skill in our modern fast-moving world. Leaders need to be agile and able to learn if they are to have any leadership longevity.
Leaders must understand that learning is a positive attribute and failure is its precursor. As Henry Ford said “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Self-compassion allows for the development of that real intelligence as lessons are embraced and learned from failure.
Our executive and performance coaching with leaders has on many occasions allowed individuals to gain greater perspective, learn from limiting beliefs and apply some self-compassion, to move forward in a far more positive and balanced manner to greater fulfilment and success.