Many of us tend to be tough on ourselves, probably more than on others. This approach seems to intensify in corporate environments because of constant judgment scenarios. I noticed an interesting Ted talk, that brought out a personal experience journey, along with the related improvements in a light manner. In today’s world, the message seems very relevant to many people, with valuable food for reflection and application. Practicing the “loving-kindness” meditation statement seems valuable to experiment with and apply practically.

Here are some selected valuable notes from the talk.

* “If I wanted to be less of a jerk to other people, I needed to start by being less of a jerk to myself…”
* “All the ways in which I was torturing myself showed up in my relationships with other people. And as those relationships suffered, so did I.”
* Meditation statement while focusing on others – “May you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease.”
* Start consciously counterprogramming against your inner critic.
* Research shows that the process of replacing your sadistic inner tyrant with a supportive inner coach, who has high standards but is not a jerk about it, makes you more likely to reach your goals.