The ability to put yourself in another person's place is at the root of practicing kindness. It highlights our common humanity. Empathy is the opposite of self-centeredness.
To truly try to understand another person helps us learn.
Everyone we meet can be our teacher if we are open to hearing them. Try to see the similarities
between yourself and others, rather than focusing on the differences.
Let go of unkind thoughts. Try not to criticize, condemn, or complain. You may be surprised
how difficult it is to stop thinking negatively about yourself and others.
They may be little thoughts, numerous and appearing normal, but they can have a massive impact on how you treat yourself and other people. Smile to yourself when you catch yourself being negative, critical, or judgmental (again) and try to replace the thought with something else like approval, appreciation, or acceptance.
It's not about thinking "less" of ourselves, but thinking about ourselves less. It does not mean we neglect our own needs or become martyrs, just that we are less self-centered. When we are self-centered, our personal problems can become larger than life, and drown us in negative feelings; we lose the ability to see the solution, or to see the pain of others, because we can't see around our own perspective. When we shift the focus outside of ourselves, the world becomes a much brighter place.