Using the "be gentle" tool · No Regret Living

Using the "be gentle" tool

Today I had an opportunity to practice one of Wendy’s tools. Did I practice it perfectly? Nope. But I remembered it in a moment of frustration and annoyance at myself.

I was picking up my daughter to breakfast with my two older kids this morning. It was my last morning with them before going back to HK tonight. I have a rental car, and as I turned the car around for her to get in, I heard a loud scrape. This car didn’t have any sensors, and I could not see that the kerb would scrape the front bumper. I was so mad at myself because I knew it was tight and should have just backed up and given myself more space. But I didn’t.

When I got out to check things, I could see some visible damage, so I knew that the rental car company would ping me. Man, I was so angry with myself. "Why did I do something so stupid?" "What an idiot?" "How easy would it have been just to back up?"

But in that moment of anger and frustration, I imagined myself holding the little bunny rabbit and stroking it while also reminding myself to be gentle with myself. What would I say if it was one of the girls who did it? Or my husband? Or my gorgeous five-year-old self? I would say, "It's okay; these things happen."

It helped. I enjoyed the breakfast with my beautiful kiddos, and even though I wish I hadn’t done it, I am also grateful that I decided to take out worldwide insurance cover for rental cars just before I left, so hopefully, it won’t cost too much!

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