Kindness can be directed inward as well as outward. Being kind to yourself is not self-indulgence; it’s validating your own worth. We are probably our own harshest critics, and certainly we know our own limitations better than anyone, so when an action we thought would be helpful is hurtfully misinterpreted as interference, it is a kindness to remind ourselves that our intentions were honorable. Not everything that goes wrong is our fault, and while we are good at taking the blame for the sake of a peaceful life, being kind to ourselves means sharing the burden of guilt that from time to time cripples us all.