Persistence and Self-Compassion

I have recently come to think of 'giving up' in a very different way.

In my adult life I have berated myself for giving up...getting discouraged, not being persistent enough at times. I have spent my life thinking there is something wrong with me, some failure deep inside that has me sometimes peremptorily quitting. Not persisting and then making myself wrong.

However, it has occurred to me recently that one of the great gifts parents can give their children is to help them know that they just have to keep trying. That when disappointed or frustrated a kind word, a little help and encouragement can go a long way to helping the child keep going. I believe it is the healthy children who have that kind of support, kindness and modeling who can keep going over the big and small bumps of life without beating themselves up. They keep going because deep down they have an internalized compassionate voice that says ' it's ok, try again, you are doing fine'...or some close version.

If you did not have that kind of support, modeling and nurturing as a child, I believe it is harder to persist. It can be done - I have persisted many times. I just think I could have been - and I am trying to be - kinder to myself all along the journey, big bumps or little bumps.