This poem captures the essence of self-compassion, and was written by Ana Maria Sáenz Velásquez’ on the last day of the 2024 MSC Teacher Training in Medellín, Colombia.
MY SELF-COMPASSION MANIFESTO (2024)
By Ana Maria Sáenz Velásquez’
I give myself permission
to end the war,
to drop my shoulders, to lower my guard.
To soften my body and my words.
To move slowly and live awake.
I give myself permission now,
to open up to the world,
to recognize, remember, know,
and also to not know.
To feel, to cry and forgive,
to leave guilt outside,
and let cruelty wait forever.
I give myself permission
to call myself friend,
to look at myself in the mirror
and see all of me without judging.
To be vulnerable,
to let go of the useless struggle of
not accepting myself.
To take care of myself,
holding my discomfort with gentleness
and my shame with tenderness.
For this, too, I give myself permission.
To just do the best I can, without comparing myself.
I give myself permission, without expectation,
to make mistakes,
to be incoherent and contradictory,
to stop, to quit.
To set boundaries, to say no to myself,
to push myself, to insist,
To believe in myself and give myself a place.
I give myself permission now
to age, to get lost and to return.
To remind myself that I am not perfect,
that I will feel anger, pain, confusion, and fear, but that I am not any of what I feel, I am
a human with good intentions, and that is my nature.
I give myself permission
to love without fear of wanting to be loved, to love without needing, and to let go.
To be here for myself, to take myself as refuge,
to nourish and sustain myself with gratitude.
To correct myself with patience, without the intention of fixing myself.
I also give myself permission
to enjoy my authenticity as much as my laughter, without apologizing for being myself.
To protect my values,
To embrace my life.
I give myself permission
to close my eyes,
put my hand on my heart,
and listen to myself when I ask the question,
“What do I need right now?”