It seems it is a lifelong struggle this thing of self acceptance. That negative voice just seems to sneak up on us and we find ourselves being more self-critical then what we believe is helpful. At times that voice within us can not only be critical but it can be downright demeaning. I have come to believe that some degree of self-criticism is extremely helpful. There are times, however, when this is not the case and the criticism only serves to tie up or energy and generate negativity which is not productive. I become particularly upset and self critical when I make a mistake that injures myself in some way or someone else. That is probably the most difficult thing for me. We live in a fast paced society with many demands and expectations generated both outside of ourselves and within us. Often our expectations are excessive and the demands are overwhelming. It is difficult to meet these excessive expectations and we need to be watchful that we don’t turn against ourselves. It is just impossible to do all of the things which others and ourselves ask and expect of us. Once we make our best efforts and be as responsible as possible, there seems to be only one thing left to do to help ourselves. And that is to try the best we can to develop compassion for ourselves and accept ourselves as we are. Excessive self-criticism may just be a bad habit and possible more harmful for us than smoking.