Seneca wrote that we are often harder on ourselves than we'd ever be on anyone else, carrying old mistakes around like stones. He believed the wise person is a friend to themselves first. Notice the voice in your head when you slip up today. Is it the voice you'd use with someone you love? Probably not. You can choose a kinder one. This isn't excusing real harm or skipping growth. It's understanding that you learn and steady faster from warmth than from contempt. Speak to yourself the way someone who believed in you would. You're allowed to be on your own side.

Inspired by the old idea of being a friend to oneself. Written by Ugo Charles.