Love thyself

Well.

Even though I have the nicest manager in the business, I am relieved the annual performance and salary review (that I annually dread, convinced this will officially be the year they discover my lack of talent to do what I do) is done and gone.

My company generally succeeded  in 2010 and I historically fare well at these chats, but I was stressed. Something to do with my chronic insomnia, tendency to lateness, the occasional stay-out-to-4 a.m.-drinking-Guinness-and-making-out-in-cars, and many more occasions on the lowest rung of the mood and motivation ladder. You can't tell me these things didn't affect my earning power.

Well, if they do down the line, they didn't this year. My manager and I had a good chat and I'm still employed and I get to make a little more than last year. In this era of mega-unemployment, this could not be better news.

Maybe I need to stop beating myself up for being, um .... fairly normal.

(BTW, I'd be petrified to undergo a "How Did Your Dating Life Go?" review for any of the past 5 years. Thank God my take-home pay does not depend on my OKC success rate. And no, you're not allowed to insert any prostitution-based jokes at this point.)

Meanwhile, into the day comes a Times article titled "Go Easy on Yourself, a New Wave of Research Urges:

"People who find it easy to be supportive and understanding to others, it turns out, often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests, berating themselves for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising. The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic."

And later:

"With self-compassion, if you care about yourself, you do what’s healthy for you rather than what’s harmful to you.”

Yup. And yup. Read it, for many yups more.

Day 2 of 31: 2.5 miles

March Total: 2.5 miles

2011 Total: 105.56