Courtesy of Henrik Edberg, The Positivity Blog
“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”
Nelson Mandela
“We can learn the art of fierce compassion – redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking – while cultivating power and clarity in response to difficult situations.”
Sharon Salzberg
“One friend, one person who is truly understanding, who takes the trouble to listen to us as we consider a problem, can change our whole outlook on the world.”
E. H. Mayoli
“There are no greater treasures than the highest human qualities such as compassion, courage and hope. Not even tragic accident or disaster can destroy such treasures of the heart.”
Daisaku Ikeda
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
Plato
“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.”
Christopher Germer
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”
Jack Kornfield
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
Buddha
“I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren’t more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent. They believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.”
Kristen Neff
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Anne Lamott
“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”
Brené Brown
“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”
Louise L. Hay
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
Jean Shinoda Bolen
“This is a moment of suffering. Suffering is part of life. May I be kind to myself. May I give myself the compassion I need.”
Kristen Neff
“Feeling compassion for ourselves in no way releases us from responsibility for our actions. Rather, it releases us from the self-hatred that prevents us from responding to our life with clarity and balance.”
Tara Brach
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
Lucille Ball
“Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much there’s nothing else you can give, and nobody will care for you.”
Karl Lagerfeld
“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”
Stephen Covey
“Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.”
Roy T. Bennett
“Lack of forgiveness causes almost all of our self-sabotaging behavior.”
Mark Victor Hansen
“There are days I drop words of comfort on myself like falling leaves and remember that it is enough to be taken care of by myself.”
Brian Andreas
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
“If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not capable of developing compassion for others.”
Dalai Lama
