But one day I realized that I was tired. Not from work, not from other people - from myself. From this endless strict inner teacher who always puts "not enough yet", even if I tried my best.

Now I am learning something different. I am learning to be gentle with myself. Not pitiful, not weak-willed - but careful.

Being gentle means not giving up. It means letting yourself breathe. It means allowing yourself to get tired. It means telling yourself: "You are doing everything you can. It is enough."

Sometimes I do not have time to do everything I planned. Previously, this was a reason for self-flagellation. Now it is a reason to pour tea, wrap yourself in a blanket and ask yourself: "Are you okay?"

Being gentle does not mean stopping to develop. It means growing without violence. Without comparison. Without an eternal race.

When I say kind words to myself, I see how everything changes. The body relaxes. The face becomes brighter. There is a place inside for joy, not “deserved”, but just like that – because I am alive.

I am still learning. Sometimes I break down, become strict again. But now I know: softness is not weakness. It is strength. Just different. The one that heals.

With love,
Natalia