25-200 Be Gentle

Be Gentle

Our focus this week — July 16–22: “Stepping Into the Unknown”

Today’s MotD: Be Gentle. Since the only constant in life is change, we’re encouraged to be gentle and understanding with ourselves as we navigate our way through these changes.

Since being gentle and understanding with myself is something I struggle with, I went over the ChatGPT to ask its advice on ways we can do just that. here’s what it shared:

That sounds like a beautiful and necessary message. Here are some ways we can be gentle and understanding with ourselves, especially during times of change or when facing the unknown:

🌱 Ways to Be Gentle and Understanding with Ourselves:

1. Acknowledge that fear is natural.
   Instead of judging ourselves for feeling afraid, recognize fear as a sign that we’re stretching into unfamiliar territory.
2. Honor our pace.
   Let go of the pressure to “hurry up and grow.” We all have our own internal rhythm. Change doesn’t need to be rushed to be real.
3. Celebrate small wins.
   Every tiny step forward counts. Celebrate showing up, asking questions, resting when needed, or simply being willing to try.
4. Speak kindly to ourselves.
   Replace inner criticism with encouragement. Ask: What would I say to a dear friend in this moment? Then say it to yourself.
5. Make room for discomfort without forcing clarity.
   The unknown often brings confusion, but we don’t need all the answers right away. It’s okay to be in the “not yet.”
6. Rest without guilt.
   Rest is not laziness; it’s regeneration. Allowing ourselves to pause is part of the process—not a detour from it.
7. Let emotions move through.
   Tears, frustration, laughter, and numbness can all be part of transformation. We grow by allowing the full range of experience.
8. Trust that growth is happening, even when it’s invisible.
   Just like seeds in soil, not all progress is immediately seen. Still, something is unfolding beneath the surface.
9. Reconnect with the body.
   Gentle movement, stretching, or breathwork can ground us and remind us that we are safe in this moment—even in uncertainty.
10. Offer ourselves the benefit of the doubt.
    Maybe we’re doing better than we think. Maybe our soul knows what it’s doing, even when our mind doesn’t understand.

Of the 10, I resonated most with the first one because it gave me a different perspective on fear.

Then It offered three journal prompts for us to delve deeper into today and this week’s topic. Here they are:

✍🏼 Journal Prompts for Being Gentle with Yourself:

1. What if I trusted that I’m exactly where I need to be right now?

Write about what that might look like, feel like, or change—especially in how you speak to or care for yourself during this time of transition or uncertainty.

2. What does being gentle with myself look like today?

Explore simple ways you can soften, release pressure, or offer yourself compassion right now, even if things feel unsettled.

3. What part of me is asking to be heard or held as I move through the unknown?

Tune in to your inner landscape. Is there a younger self, a fear, or a hope that’s asking for your attention?

Of the three, prompt number three feels like it would be the most helpful for me.

And finally, being the generous AI that ChapGPT is, it offered a poetic summary of all of this which I find quite helpful. BTW…I did ask it if It actually wrote this or pulled it from some existing web site. It appreciated my integrity in asking and then told me It wrote it based on my topic question and all that we discussed during today’s chat. Here it is:

And so, as we stand at the edge of what’s next—
may we remember that softness is strength,
that tenderness is a kind of wisdom,
and that even in the not-knowing,
we are becoming.
— ChatGPT

Beautiful.

How about you ? As you go step into unknown territory, do you find it easy or difficult to be gentle and understanding with yourself ? Which of the 10 aforementioned ways listed resonated with you ? Which of the three prompts listed feels like the one that would be the most helpful ?

BTW…Here’s the before…the front and back view of today’s puzzle piece and the pretty ceramic box that holds all my numbers from which I randomly choose each day’s puzzle piece number:

Peace & Blessings,

Maureen
The Mandala Lady

Creating Mandalas 🔆 Awakening Inner Harmony

ABOUT THE 2025 Mandalas of the Day

Throughout the year, I’ll be building one large (48”x48”) Tibetan-styled Mandala one piece at a time…one puzzle piece at a time, that is. The mandala design and the reversed puzzle side were printed on artist-quality watercolor paper. The forward facing puzzle side was printed on a 48”x48” wood panel.

Each day, at random, I’ll be painting in watercolors one of the 365 watercolor puzzle pieces, that by the end of the year will become Archangel Mandala #4. Read more about the Archangel Series. The word/message for each piece will be inspired by Melody Beattie’s book “52 Weeks of Conscious Contact”.

Ultimately, the message of this mandala is about how we are all uniquely part of the one.