Giving yourself compassion for mistakes script 1

The mind is naturally critical and judgmental. You can notice this tendency, especially in situations where you fail.

When we judge ourselves harshly, it reinforces our self-critical thoughts. As the self-talk continues, it becomes a vicious cycle of negativity.

But when you practice giving yourself compassion, you can start to understand what you are experiencing. You can stop the judgmental tone in your head and begin to see yourself more clearly.

In this exercise, you will learn how to practice kindness toward yourself when you make mistakes.

Find a comfortable posture in which to sit, and invite kindness into the body.

Bring to mind somebody you have failed. For instance, if you have lost your temper at work, you may think of your boss. Or if you have missed an important deadline, you might think of your partner.

Notice the way the mind feels about this person. You may feel angry, afraid, or anxious. Whatever emotion arises, stay with it.

Ask yourself what you are doing when you criticize yourself. You may be talking to yourself out loud, silently judging yourself, or imagining an inner dialogue.

Continue noticing the mind, the body, and the situation until it becomes clear what is happening.

Then, notice if the emotions in the body are getting stronger. Notice what thoughts are coming into the mind.

Bring awareness to the experience of the body and mind. Then, when the emotions or thoughts come to mind, bring kindness to the situation.

Say to yourself: I’m not as awful as I thought. I’m making progress.

Giving yourself compassion for failure script 2

Allowing yourself to fail is the way to learn about life. We can learn from mistakes and use them to grow.

We can learn about ourselves, about our strengths and weaknesses, and about our relationships with others.

When we have compassion for ourselves, we can accept our human nature. We can see that everything we do, no matter how well-intentioned or bad, has the potential to bring us closer to our true nature. This helps us become more compassionate.

In this exercise, you can explore what it means to give yourself compassion.

Sit comfortably and close the eyes. When you are ready, begin by focusing on the body.

Imagine a bright light shining in your heart. Feel the light radiating into the body. Imagine your body like a field of light.

Let yourself relax into the feeling of being open to this light. You may want to call out to the light or even say a mantra.

Now imagine that you are receiving energy from the light. Imagine the light flowing into every part of your body, filling you with warmth and a sense of well-being.

Bring this light and feeling into the mind. Now, ask yourself if you have ever given yourself compassion.

Do you have compassion for yourself? Why or why not? Do you find that you hold yourself to unreasonable standards? Do you find yourself berating yourself?

These thoughts are normal, and they are a part of you. You can’t always control the thoughts that come into your mind, but you can notice them and then let them go.

Once you are aware of the thoughts, you can work to let go of self-judgment. Allow yourself to feel compassion for yourself.

You may feel uncomfortable, or you may find it easy. Just stay with the experience of having compassion for yourself and the thoughts that arise.

Once you are ready, turn your attention to the world around you. In this exercise, you can look at the suffering in the world. You may be angry at people who don’t care about others. You may feel like you’ve made some mistakes in your life, or that you’re struggling with your own identity.

Let yourself feel the pain of the world and the people around you. Then let yourself feel compassion for the people, and for all that is in the world.

If you need help, you can remember that you are connected to everyone else in the world. You are not alone, and you are not your problems.

The only thing that is truly important is to love. Your heart is the source of compassion, and the source of love.

Open your eyes and return to your breath for a few minutes, allowing yourself to feel the warmth of the energy that has filled your body.

 Compassionate for failure self-talk script 3

You may find yourself getting angry with yourself when you make mistakes. This is a natural response to fear and disappointment.

We all want to be perfect. We want to avoid failure and do everything right.

It’s natural to get caught up in your own ego when you make mistakes. You might even blame yourself for what happened.

In this exercise, you will explore the concept of compassion for yourself. You will learn to see yourself as you really are, imperfections included.

You can also use this process to show compassion to others. You will learn how to be more accepting of other people’s shortcomings and failures, so they can be more compassionate toward themselves.

Close the eyes and invite yourself to a comfortable meditation posture.

Begin by bringing to mind a recent time you felt angry with yourself. Remember the feeling of this anger and how it manifested physically.

Now, bring to mind the emotion of that feeling. Feel the sensations of the body, noticing the tightness in the chest and stomach.

When you feel ready, begin a deep breathing practice for a few moments.

Take three breaths and focus on the thoughts that arise in your mind. Allow any thought to pass through your mind, without trying to control it or change it.

Continue to bring to mind the physical sensation of feeling angry with yourself. Notice the tightness in your body and body’s ability to move.

Think about how this anger affects your life, whether it causes you to lose sleep or makes you more aggressive. It may even cause you to lash out at others.

Consider how this anger impacts your relationships and your health. Notice how it makes you feel.

You can practice this process of noticing emotions and their physical sensations many times. You may notice some of the thoughts or memories you may associate with those feelings.

Once you are ready, say a phrase of compassion to yourself. The phrase can be as simple as “I am okay.” Or you can say something like, “I am imperfect, and that is okay.”

Repeat this process of noticing the physical sensations of anger and the emotion of anger. For example, “My body is hurting, and that is okay.” “I am angry with myself, and that is okay.”

Continue to notice the physical sensations of anger and the emotional experience of being angry. You can also repeat the phrase of compassion, and notice the effect of this practice on your own body and mind.

After a few minutes of doing this, notice the sensations in your body.

Feel the effects of this practice of noticing emotions and their physical sensations. Notice if you have more energy or feel more relaxed.

What does it feel like to be more accepting of yourself?

If you have difficulty with the idea of being more compassionate toward yourself, try practicing this exercise with someone else.

Ask your partner to show you compassion for the things you cannot accept about yourself. For example, ask them to tell you about the times they felt ashamed or embarrassed. You can also ask them to tell you about the things they cannot stand about themselves.

After they show you compassion, you can both repeat a phrase of compassion for yourselves.

Ask your partner to express a desire to be more compassionate toward you, too. Ask them to tell you what you can do to show compassion to them.

Practice this together for a few minutes. Once you are finished, share with each other the ways you have been able to practice this compassion for each other.

Click here to get back to the list of self-compassion meditation scripts

‍