Today’s progress
I have begun to be a friend to myself.
Every so often, inspiration hits hard. Last night, it found me from more than 2,000 years and 5,000 miles away.[1] In the ancient equivalent of reposting, Seneca referenced Hecato in his Letters to Lucilius:
“What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.” That was indeed a great benefit; such a person can never be alone.
In that moment, I realized that self-compassion can be more than good hygiene: Each positive reinforcement and act of forgiveness strengthens the mind like a deepening bond between new acquaintances. And while this most familiar relationship with oneself may never be perfect, it'll always be there to those who tend to it.
And as translated into English by Richard Mott Gummere back when the effort was anything but trivial. ↩︎