08/02/2021
A story about self-compassion, compassion and GUMMY BEARS:
Once upon a time, there was a girl who went on a really big adventure. She was filled with so MANY fears & self-doubting thoughts but her will to overcome these aspects and visit beautiful places & meet wonderful people was stronger than her limiting beliefs.
On a particularly tough day, she spontaneously decided to hike up a to the top of a very tall mountain even though she wasn’t properly prepared (wrong footwear, no sunscreen, no snacks, etc.). She stopped off at the gift shop at the base to get some supplies when she spotted a bag of gummy bears. The thought of those colorful little treats made her feel joyful and a lot less anxious so she purchased them and began her hike.
On her way up the mountain, she came across many different people, of all ages, setting out to do the same thing as she was. She felt a kinship and connection to everyone and struck up conversations with people from all over the world. There was a young family struggling to climb with small children, one of whom was even in a backpack on Dad’s back. She exchanged pleasantries with them, too, as she huffed and puffed her way up. Now, you might think the best moment was when she got to the top and had a 360 degree view of the beautiful, spectacular world below her, feeling immense pride that she had done it. But, it wasn’t…The best moment was on the way down when she crossed paths, again, with the exhausted young family still struggling to ascend the mountain. They had stopped to rest, the backpack now on Mom’s back, Dad was losing his patience with his young daughter and his wife for their exhaustion and emotional despair, and told them the only reason their daughter was emotional and spiraling was because Mom was emotional and spiraling.
The girl felt the deepest compassion for all of them and, instead of walking by and just sending them vibes as she normally would, she felt compelled to stop. She asked them if they might like some gummy bears because those squishy little sweets made her feel better that day, too. Mom accepted a handful and shared them with her family and they all felt the tension ease. The girl told them what they were doing was REALLY hard and that they should give themselves a LOT of credit because they were doing great! And if they felt like crying, let those tears flow! We all need to release them sometimes and grant ourselves and each other some grace.
The girl went back home and added “gummy bears” to her Self-Compassion Boat 😉
