Hello, you are listening to the Secular Buddhism Podcast, and this is episode number 37.

I am your host Noah Rochetta, and today I'm talking about the art of self-compassion.

Why are we so harsh on ourselves?

Have you ever noticed how we tend to be nicer the further out we go from our inner circle?

We're more harsh on a friend than we are a stranger, more harsh on a family member than we are on a friend,

and ultimately we're just ruthless on ourselves.

And when it comes to how we treat ourselves the craziest part is that the person giving the beating is also the one taking the beating.

Why are we so critical of ourselves?

In this episode, I want to explore the idea of self-pity versus self-compassion.

What is self-compassion, and how do we practice it?

But before I jump into that, I want to remind you that this podcast is made possible by the Foundation for Mindful Living.

A 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to make the world a better place by teaching people to live more mindfully.

If every podcast listener donated just $2 a month, the foundation could host mindfulness retreats and workshops all over the country and perhaps the world for free.

Imagine that people being able to attend a workshop or a retreat to learn about mindfulness.

That's possible. All you have to do is visit secularbootism.com and click on the donate button at the top of the page.

And one more reminder, the Dalai Lama has said, do not try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist.

Use it to be a better whatever you already are.

If you're new to secular Buddhism or you're interested in learning more,

you can listen to the first five episodes of this podcast in order.

They are a summary of all of these concepts.

Also, you can check out my book, Secular Buddhism, Eastern Thought for Western Minds,

available as a paperback on Amazon, ebook on Kindle, iBook on iTunes, and audiobook on audible.com.

...