Hi everyone, it's Rosie, welcome to Radio Headspace and to Thursday.

As you know, this week is all about self-compassion, and today we're diving deep into how it can

be our shield against internal negativity. A situation happened recently that made me think about

the power of self-compassion. While scrolling through the comments on one of my reels, I came across

a facetious remark that red, is it mindful to use filters? This comment struck a chord fueling

my inner troll and planting seeds of self-doubt. My initial reaction was to engage in a mental battle.

I hadn't used a filter, but if I did, so what? I was giving this person a lot of power because of

old inner voices that told me I wasn't good enough, but I paused, I took a deep breath,

and I realized that my worth was not defined by the opinions of others.

Embracing our uniqueness and refusing to be confined by societal expectations can help us find

empowerment. For me, this happened when I surrounded myself with supportive and accepting

people who saw beyond the surface and valued me for who I truly was. Their belief in me helped

to squash the judgment and negativity I encountered. In my younger years, I experienced the

impact of external judgment and the way it can carry. If you've listened to past episodes,

you know that I was a troubled teen for me, Stella, and I often found myself on the receiving

end of disapproving glances, dismissive remarks, and the painful realization that people were

quick to judge me based on my appearance. My short black hair, ripped jeans, and beat-up

converse seemed to invite assumptions and stereotypes. These judgments took a toll on myself as

steam and created a persistent sense of self-doubt. I started internalizing the negative opinions

of others and questioned my worth and potential. Then, one day, during a meeting with my

probation officer, he offered the words I needed to hear. He said, your job is not to stop people

from having judgment, your job is to not judge yourself. This didn't happen overnight,

...