The Acceptance Project | Personal Growth, Self-Care, & Emotional Health
Jul 21, 2026 · 20 min · 9 segments
Why are we often kinder to everyone else than we are to ourselves? If you've ever replayed a mistake, questioned your worth, or felt like your inner critic never takes a day off, this episode is for…
Bryan GrossHost
Now, that may not sound like much, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how difficult that promise can be to keep.
I usually find the right words when someone else is struggling, and I can remind them that mistakes don't define them, that tomorrow is another day, and that they deserve a little grace.
But somewhere along the way, I forgot to offer those same words to the person I see in the mirror every morning.
Now, why is it that we can be so incredibly compassionate toward other people, but when it comes to ourselves, all that compassion seems to disappear? Think about it for just a minute.
They feel like they've let everyone down, and they start telling you they're a failure, and they probably never get it right.
You wouldn't remind them of every mistake they've ever made or tell them they should be ashamed of themselves.
When was the last time you gave yourself that very same speech? For a lot of us, the answer is probably never.
We gather every piece of evidence against ourselves, present it before an imaginary jury, and somehow, well, we always manage to find ourselves guilty.
Someone else forgets your birthday and you think, "Well, they're probably just busy." You forget someone's birthday and you suddenly, you've convinced yourself you're the worst friend in the world.
Your coworker misses a deadline and you tell yourself, "They're under a lot of pressure." You miss a deadline and you've already updated your resume because obviously your career is over.
Sounds ridiculous when you say it like that, doesn't it? Yet that's exactly how many of us think every single day.
Now, that may not sound like much, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how difficult that promise can be to keep.
I usually find the right words when someone else is struggling, and I can remind them that mistakes don't define them, that tomorrow is another day, and that they deserve a little grace.
But somewhere along the way, I forgot to offer those same words to the person I see in the mirror every morning.
Now, why is it that we can be so incredibly compassionate toward other people, but when it comes to ourselves, all that compassion seems to disappear? Think about it for just a minute.
They feel like they've let everyone down, and they start telling you they're a failure, and they probably never get it right.
You wouldn't remind them of every mistake they've ever made or tell them they should be ashamed of themselves.
When was the last time you gave yourself that very same speech? For a lot of us, the answer is probably never.
We gather every piece of evidence against ourselves, present it before an imaginary jury, and somehow, well, we always manage to find ourselves guilty.
Someone else forgets your birthday and you think, "Well, they're probably just busy." You forget someone's birthday and you suddenly, you've convinced yourself you're the worst friend in the world.
Your coworker misses a deadline and you tell yourself, "They're under a lot of pressure." You miss a deadline and you've already updated your resume because obviously your career is over.
Sounds ridiculous when you say it like that, doesn't it? Yet that's exactly how many of us think every single day.
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