Flaming Lambourgini by Timothy Poulton

Flaming Lambourgini by Timothy Poulton

The importance of self-criticism is sometimes lost in life. One vital way to soften our personal criticism and have compassion for our imperfections is by recognizing our common humanity – everyone feels inadequate, flawed and imperfect. It is part of the human experience to fail, to blow it sometimes: you are not alone in this. When we make mistakes, however, we tend to feel that something has gone wrong – that the baseline should be “everything is going swimmingly.” When it’s not, we think that we’re somehow abnormal, that it’s only me that is going through this right now. That feeling of loss of connection is incredibly frightening, because evolutionarily if we were rejected by the group, we were at the mercy of the lions. So a significant way you can soften your self-criticism and create a kinder approached to yourself is by remembering common humanity. When we do this, every moment of feeling inadequate actually becomes an opportunity for connection. You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company, and the journey through life.

Timothy Poulton: Photos