Each of the items below is a direct quote. They were all spoken by the same person:

• I cannot believe how stupid you act sometimes.
• Oh my God, look how fat you're getting.
• You are a complete and total failure.
• You're not smart enough to go to graduate school.
• No one is ever going to love you; you're not attractive enough.
• You're kidding yourself if you think you're going to win at anything.
• You're worthless.
• Why did you say that? Why couldn't you keep your fucking mouth shut?
• I wish you were more attractive. I wish you were smarter.
• Why can't you finish anything that you start?
• What the hell is wrong with you?

What kind of person would say such things out loud? Well, the person who said them was me. And the person I said them to was myself. And I bet I'm not the only one who's said some of these things to the mirror at one time or another.

The point is this: what good is loving your neighbor the way you love yourself, if this is how you treat yourself? We say things to ourselves that we wouldn't say to our worst enemies. We treat ourselves worse than we treat complete strangers.

If compassion is something that matters to you, how about showing yourself some for a change?