Treat yourself as you would a child

Colleagues,
 
Today we continue the series on the twenty most important things I have learned from others.
 
Treat yourself as you would a child

I hope this one doesn’t apply to you, but it probably does. Throughout my life, nobody has been meaner or treated me more brutally than myself. It is so sad, the names I have called myself because I missed a deadline, or said something foolish, or… messed up an omelet (also see number 5 about the arrogance of perfection). 

​If this sounds like you, then consider this – how would you treat a child who made that same mistake? Does anyone deserve to be treated differently? 
 
Put a picture of you as a child on your desk or anywhere that you’ll see it (mine is the home screen of my phone). Before you begin running yourself into the ground, look at that picture and think about what you would say to that child. You would likely try and find a lesson if there was one, give them a hug, and help them clean up the mess. Why not treat your adult self the same way?
 
I’ll be away from email for a while, but please feel free to respond to this series and I will get back to you after my return.
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick