Self-compassion involves being kind to ourselves rather than self-critical, seeing our flaws and shortcomings as part of the shared human experience rather than as isolating, and relating to our negative feelings in a balanced, mindful manner. This allows us to thrive and be happy without seeing ourselves as better than others. In fact, Kristin's research shows that self-compassion offers all of the psychological benefits of self-esteem with none of its drawbacks. And self-compassion is not the same as self-indulgence. In fact, research indicates that by caring for ourselves compassionately we are more motivated to learn from our mistakes, grow, and reach our full potential.