Permission to feel hard feelings & letting go of “comparative suffering”

One of the podcast episodes that has made the biggest impact in my own wellbeing during this pandemic is “Brené on Comparative Suffering,
the 50/50 Myth, and Settling the Ball.”

Maybe you’ve been dismissive of your own hard feelings. Maybe you’ve had thoughts like “others have it so much harder,I should just be grateful.” If so, I highly recommend you give this podcast episode a listen.

The whole episode is packed with good advice, however, if you are short on time, I suggest jumping directly to the “comparative suffering” section, head to 15:02 minutes in.

Listen to the podcast here: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-comparative-suffering-the-50-50-myth-and-settling-the-ball/

If you’re like me and like to read while you listen, I discovered a rough transcript, here. (The transcript is imperfect, so is best read as you listen, if that is an option for you*.)

“When we practice empathy with ourselves and others, we create more empathy. Love, y’all, is the last thing we need to ration in this world. The exhausted doctor in the ER room in New York doesn’t benefit more if you conserve your kindness only for her and withhold it from yourself or your coworker who lost her job. The surest way to ensure that you have a reserve of compassion and empathy for others is to attend to your own feelings.” — Brene Brown

If you find this podcast valuable, please share your thoughts with me in the comments or on my Facebook group Reframe Your Brain. I’d love to discuss and connect with you more about this.

*If you are hearing impaired and want to read a more polished version, reach out to me and I’ll send you an edited version of the transcript I found. I didn’t create the transcript but I’m happy to type out this section for you with better punctuation if you request it, as I want everyone to have access to this content.

Keridwyn Deller

comfortthemind.com / fb.com/groups/reframeyourbrain / keridwyn.com