41 Self Compassion Quotes To Inspire Kindness For Yourself On A Difficult Day.

Who is your biggest critic?

Is it your sister, father, partner, friend?

I am guessing the answer to this question is no.

If you are anything like me, your biggest critic is probably yourself.

These inspirational quotes are gentle reminders that compassion starts with yourself.

Write one in your journal, grab your free wall print, keep them as your screensaver, read them when you wake up as a moment of self-compassion.

Then go on and start (or end) your day with a compassionate heart.

Difficult days are a given, especially for mothers. How you react to that day is up to you.

Self compassion can help you react gently to those days and moments when your patience, courage and energy get challenged.

What is self-compassion?

Can you easily tell a friend how well she is coping whilst berating yourself for feeling overwhelmed?

Do you offer a supportive shoulder to a tired mother who lost her patience but never give yourself that grace?

Imagine if you showed yourself the same self-compassion to yourself as you do towards others?

That is self-compassion.

Or as Dr Kristin Neff, author and pioneer in the research of self-compassion describes it “Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself.”

As a mother, there is nothing more important than self-compassion, especially on the inevitable tough days you will have.

True compassion starts with yourself.

41 Self Compassion Quotes.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

Dalai Lama XIV

Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.

Christopher Germer

Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.

Louise Hay

The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.

Carl Jung

Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.

Maya Angelou

You have peace,” the old woman said, “when you make it with yourself.

Mitch Albom: The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Having compassion starts and ends with having compassion for all those unwanted parts of ourselves, all those imperfections that we don’t even want to look at.

Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.

Brené Brown

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

Sharon Salzberg

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

Jack Kornfield, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.

Steve Maraboli

If you can’t love yourself how the hell you gonna love somebody else?

RuPaul

Perhaps, we should love ourselves so fiercely, that when others see us they know exactly how it should be done.

Rudy Francisco

Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.

Lau Tzu

Let us fill our hearts with our own compassion – towards ourselves and towards all living beings.

Nhat Hanh

One thing is for sure–you will make mistakes. Learn to learn from them, learn to forgive yourself, learn to laugh when everything falls apart because, sometimes, it will.

Vironika Tugaleva

You are the only person who thinks in your mind! You are the power and authority in your world.

Louise L. Hay

I now see how gifts like courage, compassion, and connection only work when they are exercised. Every day.

Brene Brown

There’s no amount of self-improvement that can make up for a lack of self-acceptance.

Robert Holden

I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion–and where it isn’t, that’s where my work lies.

Ram Dass

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.

Joseph Campbell

If you are continually judging and criticizing yourself while trying to be kind to others, you are drawing artificial boundaries and distinctions that only lead to feelings of separation and isolation.

Kristen Neff

Mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world.

Sri Amit Ray, Mindfulness Living in the Moment – Living in the Breath

If you were born with the weakness to fall you were born with the strength to rise

Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.

Pema Chodron

Fear of being a flawed person lay at the root of my trance, and I had sacrificed many moments over the years in trying to prove my worth. Like the tiger Mohini, I inhabited a self-made prison that stopped me from living fully.

Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha

A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.

Christopher K. Germer

What we don’t need in the midst of struggle is shame for being human.

Brene Brown

Quality time with people you love or doing something that makes your heart sing is never time wasted.

Amanda Newbery-Mumtastic Life

Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.

Deborah Day

Your potential is limitless. You are unique, valuable, capable, and worthy of the dreams in your heart. Most of all, you have what it takes to transform and transcend whatever challenges you face.

Marie Forleo

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.

Lucille Ball

The fruits of life can only grow when your roots are implanted well. Being grounded is the key to being fruitful.

Dr. Prem Jagyasi

I am a work in progress. A beautiful, boundless mass of energy still coming together, day by day. This is enough.

Amanda Newbery-Mumtastic Life

Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away.

Arthur Helps

When a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier.

Diane Von Furstenberg

Remember, you’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.

Louise. L Hay

Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.

Helen Keller

For those of you who struggle with guilt regarding self-care, answer this question: What greater gift can you give to those you love than your own wholeness?

Shannon Tanner

See yourself the way the world sees you, which is far more beautiful, far more talented, far more capable, far more impressionable than you would ever recognize.

Jenna Kutcher

How will you use these self compassion quotes?

If berating yourself for not getting more done, not responding the right why, not….. (you fill in the blank) is a frequent scenario for you, maybe it’s time to shift your perspective.

Here are some ideas on how you can use these self compassion quotes to help you with that shift.

• Create a self compassion vision board and write quotes that inspire on it.
• Make a screensaver for your phone or laptop with the quote that helps you the most.
• Set a reminder with a quote that flashes up on your phone.
• Use them as a mantra for living.
• Use them as a journal prompt and see what insights you find (frequent journaling is a major component of self-compassion for me)

If there is a particular way you like using inspirational quotes that I have not mentioned, or a quote you think needs to be on this list, let me know. Drop me a message in the comments below.

Self compassion is a must for me and I hope you can find it too, especially on a difficult day. Us mothers need to stick together, hold each other up. This post (and Mumtastic Life and my book in the making) is a small way of me doing that for you.

Amanda x

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