Harnessing the power of compassion: How showing yourself grace can propel you in your personal and professional life

Harnessing the power of compassion: How showing yourself grace can propel you in your personal and professional life

Showing ourselves grace in our personal and professional lives is essential to leading an enjoyable, fulfilling life. Generally, grace is a term we use to describe the feeling of compassion, kindness, and understanding we extend towards ourselves and others. It allows us to move forward in life by recognizing our mistakes, but also forgiving ourselves for them as well. When we show grace, it can bring us inner peace, emotional health, and even physical health benefits. Harnessing grace is not something we should only do in silent fellowship; however, grace should be ever-present and employed in all needed spaces. Here are my 2 tips for strategically showing grace in your personal and professional life.

1.????May your cup runneth over: Show yourself personal grace

In our personal lives, practicing showing ourselves grace can involve learning how to be kinder to ourselves when we make mistakes or do not meet our own expectations. This includes being aware of our self-talk and using more positive language with ourselves. It also involves taking time out for self-care activities like getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals and snacks, engaging in exercise, meditating regularly, and taking breaks from work or other stressors when needed.

Further, showing yourself grace means allowing yourself to make mistakes without beating yourself up over them or doubting your abilities. Instead of reacting harshly towards yourself at the first sign of things not going as expected, be gentle with yourself. Congratulate yourself on areas you have worked hard on and thank yourself for putting forth effort even if things do not turn out as planned.

Learning how to extend grace towards ourselves, regardless of personal or professional goals, will lead to greater resilience which helps us navigate through difficult times with greater ease and clarity. Remember that it is perfectly normal to not be perfect all the time. Success does not mean perfectionism, but rather making progress in whatever area you want to improve despite setbacks occurring along the way. Handling adversity with grace allows us to get back on track much faster than if we were filled with shame or guilt over past missteps or experiences that did not go as planned. So, recognize that big wins sometimes come with minor setbacks, use challenges as opportunities for growth, and cloak yourself in personal grace as if it were your personal suit of armor.

2.????Allow others to drink from your grace gourd: Practice showing grace in your professional capacity

In our professional lives, showing grace can involve not only taking responsibility for our actions but also providing a nonjudgmental space where colleagues can do the same. We should strive to create an atmosphere where there are no wrong answers or ideas. Instead, encourage open dialogue among team members while recognizing that everyone has different perspectives that should be respected. Demonstrate respect for others’ feelings by being mindful of how your words might affect them and your relationship with them and others in the workplace. There will be times when feedback is needed. If you need to critique someone else’s work or idea in a constructive way, make sure you provide feedback with empathy, so they feel heard rather than attacked. Practicing grace in the workplace also means leading by example. Take responsibility when something goes wrong and do not simply assign blame. Instead offer solutions for improvement moving forward.

Ultimately, showing grace means treating ourselves and others like we would a dear friend… listening without judgement and understanding that everyone makes mistakes from time-to-time. What really matters is how well we can pick ourselves up after those moments happen so we can continue to serve in excellence.

Showing ourselves grace is as fluid as water and air. Do you have routine practices you use to show yourself grace and get back on track? I’d love to hear about them.