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Mary Sherman's avatar

Thank you Sebene. Your essays always stir up many of my unconscious (still) attitudes and default behaviors and how to look with new lenses. Two days away from my 68th walk around the sun and I can feel the pull for cultivating this notion of self-compassion as a true gift for the rest of my journey. Blessings on this Full Moon.

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Happy almost birthday Mary!! 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

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Mal Pronouns's avatar

Happy Pride! 🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ Yessss, the systems stink on steroids! Thank you for this reminder and healthy response to what we are surrounded by daily. But LOVE is my strength and your path helps to reinforce that in me, so it ripples out into the world. Enjoy your feet on the soft earth. Love to you!!!

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Love as strength is what we need!! Happy Pride friend!! 🏳️‍⚧️🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

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joey's avatar

I love your voice when you say in the meditation “the voice telling you you’re not enough? That’s not your voice” - I really heard it when you said it🙏💗🙏

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Oh, that's so sweet Joey. Thanks. 💛

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Mary Wentworth's avatar

Sebene - I’m just getting familiar with your work. Thank you, beautiful being! 🩷☮️

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Thanks Mary! 💛

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Susan Pfeil's avatar

Thank you!!!

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

💛

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Donna Avery's avatar

Beautiful meditation and post

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

💛💛💛

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Helen Silva Bratko's avatar

Great post, Sebene. I LOVE Kristin Neff and her work has been transformative in my life. I like your idea for a 4th aspect of self compassion. It go my word nerd going. There is 1. Self kindness 2 Common Humanity 3 Mindfulness and

4. Systems suck (Sebene) or

4. Cultural filters or

4. Recognize Systems of oppression or

4. Cultural contexts or ?

I think this is a great addition you're making to Self Compassion, to zoom out and see that we're thinking cultural thoughts not our own. I appreciate that a lot. I'm happy to hear you're retreating into nature and excited that you're considering writing another book. Yay! Thanks for your insights into self love and how that also happens communally. Ahhh. Great reminder that we all belong.

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Thanks Helen! I love the idea of “really” adding a fourth aspect.

Maybe systems thinking vs individualism…

Thanks for reading!

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Helen Silva Bratko's avatar

I wonder if one could just enhance the Common Humanity aspect to include systems thinking, ie everything we go through is common to The Human experience and also shaped by culural forces. Just brainstorming over here.

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Barb's avatar

Sending love. So happy for your retreat to Nature. Thank you for sharing your precious time. ❤️🙏

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Thanks Barb. 💛

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Lucinda Caldwell's avatar

You are the BEST, Sebene <3 Thank you for being you and doing what you do.

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

Thank you Lucinda! 💛

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Tymberly ⭐️'s avatar

🙏🩷🌈

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

💛💛💛

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Gen LaRouche's avatar

Thank you!

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Sebene Selassie's avatar

💛💛💛

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Ev Nittel's avatar

Thank you for your letter, Sebene. I deeply appreciate getting these in my inbox every couple of weeks, and your words always leave me with something interesting to ponder.

In this issue, I definitely felt a spark of recognition with the bit about capitalism requiring our deficiency. It’s hard to practise self-love when I'm immersed in the "stinking systems" that thrive on my shame. I’m learning (re-learning?) that loving myself is also about reclaiming what’s been taken and rewriting those inherited stories .

Also, I couldn’t help but think of that moment in your book where you mention we think the culture's thoughts. That insight really changed how and what I notice when shame arises.

I’m so grateful for voices like yours that help me remember we're rewriting these stories together 🙏🏼💕

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