What do you enjoy most about your life?  Here is a poem from this week’s Purcellville Gazette.  The best things in life truly are free, if we just pay attention.  Thanks Jonah!

Criticize Self, Criticize Others

The other day our 16 year old son Caleb was feeling particularly down.  When Kim asked him about it, he told her that he wasn't smart enough, handsome enough, essentially not good enough.  As we work hard to constantly express positive, affirming words toward our children, Kim was concerned.  He must be feeling the pressure from his peers at school.  Researching online some of the possible reasons kids can feel down about themselves, she was surprised at what she found.  One risk factor, based on research, was children being exposed to parents consistently saying bad things about--criticizing--themselves, much less others.

While I can honestly say I rarely hear Kim criticizing others, much less our boys, I often talk with her about how much I wish she would stop criticizing herself, focused most often on how she looks.  I know right.  She is gorgeous.  Truth is, every one of us is gorgeous.  We just don't know and believe it.  While we can more easily see the negative impact on others when we criticize them, how many of us realize what we might be doing similarly when we criticize our self?  Bottom line, why not stop criticizing all together, both self and others, and choose to be kind and compassionate instead?  By the way, Kim hates to have her picture taken.  HA!