Goat

Don’t let the down times get you too down. Don’t let the up times get you too up. When we are younger, in particular, we tend to begin to think that the events of that day define us, and it’s really the events of life that define us. The best thing I can tell people is to hang on to your heart. Always have compassion for yourself as a learner. Treat yourself like you’re your own best friend. If you can’t treat yourself like you’re your own best friend, why would you expect others to? It is important for people to have compassion for themselves when times are difficult (and see themselves as having experiences that all humans have).  During those times they are most in need of compassion for themselves and it is their own compassionate heart that will fuel their resilience.  Likewise, it is helpful to enjoy some of the really exhilarating experiences in life for what they are—an exhilarating experience that might thrill them, but doesn’t necessarily define them.