The voice you use on yourself

Listen, once, to how you talk when no one is in the room. The sigh. The name you call yourself when you drop a cup. The story you tell about why you’re behind.

That voice learned its job a long time ago. It thought sharpness would keep you safe. Sometimes it only keeps you small.

Nobody turns sweet overnight. Try one true sentence that isn’t a verdict: I am tired. I made a mess. I can begin again after dinner.

Wisdom isn’t a louder lecture. It’s a quieter one. The river doesn’t shout at the bank. It returns.