Be Nice to Yourself
– Musings of Dr. Jamie Hsu, 9.6.2019
We live in a dynamic, crowded, and fast-paced world. We take care of our children, care for our elders, work to earn a decent living, and strive to please our bosses and friends. We are the sandwich generation — constantly trying to balance our work and family lives, caught between traditional and modern ways of living.
In the face of such challenges and demands, do we spend enough time and effort being nice to the most important person, ourselves? A happy and healthy self is the foundation to serving and leading others. Here are a few ways to be nice and kind to yourself:
- Forgive yourself: No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. It is important to do something to remedy the mistakes, learn the lessons, and move on. Do not dwell on them and hold a grudge against yourself. If we can’t forgive ourselves, it is very tough to forgive others.
- Date yourself: Remember the time you were dating your loved one and would plan a perfect day for him/her? Consider doing the same for yourself. Give yourself a day off and plan it just for you. Go to a movie, dance on the beach, visit a museum, have a delicious meal, or just curl up at home and read a favorite book.
- Indulge yourself: Carve out a chunk of your time to pursue a hobby — to paint, dance, travel, or to join a book club, gourmet class, or fitness group. When you see a “for me” activity on your calendar, it sends the message that you are important and deserving.
- Improve yourself: This may be counterintuitive, but hard-earned self-improvement might be the best way to be nice to yourself. Whether you receive a hard-earned degree, diploma, certificate, or special recognition; finish a half marathon, achieve your target weight, or successfully manage a chronic disease, your improvements will become the best gift to yourself.
- Adore yourself: We are not perfect, but we all have beautiful traits, special skills, and unique personalities. Take some time to find your talents and to recognize them. You are adorable, and you should adore yourself, the one and only you in this crowded world.
Please take some time to be nice to yourself while also making others’ lives better and more pleasant.
善待自己
-作者 許俊宸博士
-中譯 薛乃綺
我們生活在一個充滿動力、擁擠、快步驟的世界。我們要照顧自己的孩子、長輩、努力過上體面的生活，盡力讓我們的老闆跟朋友開心。我們是”夾心餅”的世代，不斷想去平衡工作與家庭，更經常陷入選擇傳統與現代之間的不同生活方式。
面對生活中的這些挑戰與需求，我們是否放足夠了心思對最重要的人─就是對自己好一點？一個快樂健康的自己，才是服務與領導他人的基礎。這裏列幾個善待自己的方式：
- 原諒自己：沒有人是完美的。我們總是會犯錯。重點是要想辦法來糾正錯誤、吸取教訓、並繼續前進。千萬別放不下，一直跟自己過不去。如果我們連自己都無法原諒，那就更難去原諒別人了。
- 跟自己約會：還記得你跟所喜愛的人約會時，為她/他規劃了完美的一天嗎？你也有為了自己做過同樣的事嗎？給自己一天假，並為自己規劃一天。去看電影、在沙灘上跳舞、去逛博物館、去大快朵頤、又或者窩在家裡看自己喜歡的書。
- 寵愛自己：找出一定的時間去追求培養嗜好，畫畫、跳舞、旅遊、參加讀書會、美食課、健身團體等。當你在行事曆上看到有”給自己安排的活動”時，它會傳送一个訊息告訴你，你是重要且值得化时间的人。。
- 改善自己：這有可能是與直覺相反的善待自己。但是辛苦地改善自己可能就是對自己好的最佳方式。當你擁有一個得之不易的級別、學位、特別的認可；當你完成半碼的馬拉松、當你達到体重目標、或者當你的慢性疾病成功痊癒時，你会將‘改善的自己’當成是最好的禮物。
- 欣賞自己：我們都不完美，但我們都有許多美好的特質、特殊的技能、以及獨特的性格。你要花些時間去找到它們，並認識它們。你很棒，你是在這擁擠的人海中的特殊人物，一個重要，也該值得欣賞的人。
當你忙著讓別人的生活更為美好時，請也花些時間来對自己好些。
