I am going to tackle a couple of topics: fear of judgment and the importance of feeling grounded during unsettling times.

I’ll start by sharing a personal story about my experience with judgment. I have wanted to add video content to my blog for a very long time and have been 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. The ironic part is that I was a producer for 20+ years, so I know how to do this. It didn't matter. Knowing I am an expert in this field just made me more nervous.

I finally got up the nerve to record my first video 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣. I don't look very good. The audio and lighting could be better. The picture quality is not great. I don't like how I positioned myself in front of the camera. I don't like the background. Is the content compelling enough?

Here's the thing. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀. Am I right?

Forgiveness is a BIG topic. We often hear about the importance of forgiving others—how carrying anger and resentment is a heavy load. Forgiveness lightens that emotional load. But what about forgiving yourself?

I’ve thought about this a lot. When I asked myself, "What do I need to forgive myself for?" a long list came to mind. I need to forgive myself for all the harsh things I’ve believed about myself. The inner voice that says I’m not smart enough, I weigh too much, I don’t always make the best choices, I didn’t follow through, I judged someone unfairly, I didn’t show enough kindness or empathy. The list seems endless. Writing it down is tough, but it’s necessary and it brings clarity.

So why am I so hard on myself? I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us have an inner critic that’s harsh and unforgiving. It’s important to explore where these thoughts come from. Understanding the root of your self-criticism is the first step toward dismantling it. Are these beliefs even true? Sure, some things may hold some truth—we all have moments of impatience or judgment—but they don’t have to define us. We’re human, after all, and humans are not perfect.

So, where do we go from there? How do we move beyond self-sabotaging thoughts and head toward self-forgiveness?