So, my mom always used to say, you’re you’re own best friend and your own worst enemy.  I never used to understand what she meant until I started learning about self-compassion.  It’s been helping me, more and more, to be a friend to myself.

I believe the whole world would be a softer place if everyone took the time to be more kind to themselves first. It would enable them to view the world more readily as it truly is, as opposed to how we initially perceive it.  Oftentimes, we get lost in our own thoughts and feelings, and because of that we interpret the world around us through a filter of those thoughts and feelings and our understanding of the truth of the world is distorted.

It is my fondest hope that by sharing the phrases that I have put together for myself using books and other sources (a Buddhist monk who I am friends with on G+ is one source, for example), that I will help others to gain a more balanced view of the world that is presently occurring around them, and to escape the repeated traumas they have subconsciously replaying in their minds. Because of that, I’ve been sharing my morning metta meditation phrasings here and there on G+ and Facebook, and I thought today I’d share one here on In It For The Parking, since I also learned today that experienced meditators seem to be able switch off areas of the brain associated with daydreaming as well as psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.

Today, for 20 minutes, I took deep breaths, and focused on repeating the following phrases to myself:

May I have fun today.
May I be not angry.
May I be free from ill-will.
May I be free from hostility.
May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May my joy multiply and reach others while staying with me.

Happy Tuesday everybody. ❤