"I was tired of listening to my harshest critic, the little voice in my head, so I became more KIND to myself." -Member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyHeartDiseaseTeam have found, living with heart disease is an exercise in frustrating moments. You may blame yourself when you look in the mirror, when fatigue gets the best of you, or when you falter with a simple task. The problem is when you let these internal judgments shape belief in yourself.

Here are recent conversations from members on MyHeartDiseaseTeam:

• "To have heart issues and live through them, means you are tough, you are a fighter and you understand the importance of living life like there is no tomorrow. Stay strong, stay healthy and keep fighting because being on this side of the green is so much more fun than the alternative."
• "I'm just so grateful for where I am at and everything that I have gone through has made me a better, stronger more loving person."
• "No, I don't miss that person, I am stronger than that person. There are issues that I have dealt with for 20 years that are a lot behind me now."

Experts in mindfulness and self-care recommend pausing a moment when you find you're judging yourself. Be aware of those judgments. Ask yourself where this is coming from. Use the moment to be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

Do you recall a time when you were particularly critical of yourself? What are you doing to show yourself kindness in those moments? Share in the comments below or directly on MyHeartDiseaseTeam.