self-compassion

(from “Black Sheep” by MILCK)

Black sheep, cryin' those rebel tears
It's a battle to survive these lonely years
Black sheep, you live up to your name
You've been told for way too long that you're the one to blame

You never mean to hurt yourself or anyone around you
But trouble's like a curse, a curse you didn't choose
The house you're in is like a cage, the walls and floor rage
It's hard to breathe, but hard to leave

Look up, you’re not alone
You’ll make a home of your own
Don’t let anyone turn your unique into flaws
Yeah, you know that I love you the way that you are
Take those sticks and stones and make a home of your own
Every warrior grows from her battles and scars
Yeah, you know that I love you the way that you are…
Dear black sheep

It runs deep, it's insatiable
That hunger to be seen and to be understood
Black sheep, they call me that, too
I've wrestled with the dark, but I made it through
And so will you

Look up, you’re not alone
You’ll make a home of your own
Don’t let anyone turn your unique into flaws
Yeah, you know that I love you the way that you are
Take those sticks and stones and make a home of your own
Every warrior grows from her battles and scars
Yeah, you know that I love you the way that you are
Black sheep…

The house you build,
It will be safe and be full of light and space
You'll finally breathe, my dear black sheep

Look up, you're not alone, you'll make a home of your own
Don’t let anyone turn your unique into flaws
….you know that I love you the way that you are
Take those sticks and stones (sticks and stones)
And make a home of your own (all of your own)
Every warrior grows from her battles and scars
And you know that I love you the way that you are
And you know that I love you the way that you are
…you know that I love you the way that you are

#artastherapy #Music #Lyrics #Relationships #CPTSD #Autism #Autistic #ADHD #Selfcompassion #Selflove #Healing #MentalHealth

#artastherapy #Journaling #Art #expression #Autistic #Autism #ADHD #latediagnosed #MentalHealth #Emotionalsupport #EmotionalProcessing #Selfacceptance #Selfcompassion #Identity #Joy

for all of us who struggle with guilt and self-worth over how much our hearts want to help others but our hearts need to help ourselves first 🙏🏼❤️

#ChronicFatigue #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #Depression #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #Selfcompassion #MentalHealth #Anxiety

Dear Little Me,

If you’re reading this, it means we’ve made it further than you thought we could. I wish I could wrap you in my arms right now and let you cry without holding it in, laugh without apology, and dream without someone telling you you’re too much.

There are things I wish I could’ve shielded you from—moments that chipped away at your light. People who didn’t see your worth. Days when you felt invisible, or worse, like a burden. But I want you to know something: You were never the problem. You were just ahead of your time.

You always loved hard, felt deep, questioned everything. And I’m proud of you for that. I’m proud of you for surviving when you didn’t know how. For still smiling in photos when your heart was heavy. For not letting the world break you—even when it tried.

I still carry parts of you inside me. The playful, curious, emotional, wild little spark that just wanted to be seen and safe. I’m learning how to take care of us both now.

And maybe most importantly… I forgive you for everything you thought you did wrong. You were doing the best you could with what you had—and that was more than enough.

Walk with me. We’ve still got places to go.

I don’t know where home is yet. Not really. But I believe it’s out there. Not just four walls and a roof—but a feeling. A breath. A place where my heart can stop clenching and my body can finally exhale. I don’t know what it looks like, or who will be there waiting. But I believe I will recognize it the moment I feel safe—not just in my surroundings, but in myself.

Until then, I’ll keep moving. Gently. Boldly. Soft and fierce, all at once.

I’ll keep reaching—not because I’m lost, but because I’m learning how to grow into myself.

We may not know exactly where we’re headed yet,

but I promise—we’re on our way.

With all the love you always deserved,

Me (still searching, still standing, still full of fire—and never giving up on us)

#wordsformyyoungerself #dearyoungerme #healingjourney #innerchildhealing #becomingme #Selfcompassion #stillstanding #iammysafeplace #resilienceinbloom #traumasurvivor #survivingandthriving #reclaimingmystory #becomingwhole #homeisafeeling #findingmywayback #rootedinhope #ThisIsHealing #growingintomyself #letterstomyself #writingtoheal #memoirinprogress #heartonthepage #walkingwithher #wordsformyyoungerself #handinhandwithme #softisstrong #Learningtolovemyself

#MentalHealth #Selfcompassion

Transform your mindset.

Sadly, it’s often challenging to lift yourself up (particularly if you’re feeling really low or ashamed), but if you want to create compassion for yourself, you have to change your mindset.

For me, self-compassion started with changing my thoughts. I started focusing on the fact that my behavior was bad, not me. Once I started labeling behavior (instead of myself as whole), I was able to be kinder to myself and open up my mind to the possibility that I could make changes.

Forgive yourself for your mistakes.

Forgiveness is vital for self-compassion. We all make mistakes, but not all of us forgive ourselves for them. Depending on the mistake, this can be a very daunting task, but keep in mind that you cannot go back (no matter how badly you might want to), so the best thing to do is to choose forgiveness and forward motion.

Whenever I did something inappropriate, instead of shrugging it off or excusing my behavior, I started apologizing for it, both to others and to myself. Again, I focused on the fact that I wasn’t bad; it was my behavior that was.

Strive to avoid judgments and assumptions.

Though assumptions and judgments are often based on experience or knowledge of some sort, it’s very hard to predict what will happen in life. When you judge yourself or make an assumption about what you will do in the future, you don’t give yourself an opportunity to choose a different path. Instead of limiting yourself, be open to all possibilities.

In my situation, I started assuming that I shouldn’t go to an event because I would inevitably cause a scene and have to leave. Little did I know that I’d eventually learn, with the help of therapy and self-compassion, to socialize sober. I had assumed that I would always be “wild,” but I’ve learned that you cannot know the future. Assumptions will only inhibit you.

Find common ground with others.

While self-compassion is about the way you care for yourself, one of the best ways to cultivate it is to create connections with others. When you open yourself up to sharing who you are with others, you’ll soon see that you’re not alone.

We all struggle to treat ourselves with kindness, and recognizing this can make the struggle more manageable.

At some point, I began admitting to friends and family that I had a problem. It was difficult to open up emotionally, but the more I did, the more I discovered that I wasn’t alone. Creating these stronger emotional ties made it so much easier to deal with my personal shame and to work toward more self-compassion.

You can refer to this:

resiliens.com/resilify/program/self-compassion

Sometimes, mental health journeys feel less like a straight path and more like a winding road. You might need days to rest, recharge, or simply cope. That doesn't mean you're failing or losing progress. It means you're human. Honor where you are, acknowledge the effort it took to get this far, and remember that self-care is essential fuel for continued growth. #mentalhealth #selfcare #mentalhealthjourney #progressnotperfection
#ADHD #Motivation #Selfcompassion