I’m not always kind to me.

Maybe it sounds funny, but it’s true. And I’m guessing it’s true for quite a lot of us. We are not always kind to ourselves.

I sometimes say things to myself that I would never say to others.

Oh you’re such an idiot.

I can’t believe you did that.

What made you think you could actually do that?

You should just give up. This is too hard.

And the list goes on and on. Over the years, it’s had far worse things than this—sometimes comments said in exasperation or maybe even jokingly. Yet every single word, joking or not, is powerful.

Why do we speak like that to ourselves?

For as much as I love encouraging others, I’m not always great at encouraging myself. “We’re our own worst critic,” we say to excuse our behavior. But shouldn’t we be our own greatest cheerleader? I mean, what if we flipped the script and lived like that instead?

This isn’t me making a case for inflating our own self-importance.

This isn’t a case for not challenging ourselves toward growth and becoming better.

But what we say matters. Our words have power, and for as much as we say that to others, I think we sometimes need to remind ourselves.

What you say to yourself and about yourself matters. You matter. And what you choose to say about yourself today will have a direct affect on who you will become tomorrow.

So be kind to yourself, friend.

Give yourself lots of grace.

Celebrate your victories.

And keep cheering yourself on through the struggles.

You matter. May you learn to believe that a bit more today.