Are you a restless, insecure person, perhaps even a little dissatisfied with your life? These tips from Pope Francis can help you calm down, boost your self-esteem, and feel better about yourself.
“Not always a clean story”
When we feel discouraged with our own life, Pope Francis has these encouraging words for us:
Restlessness is a seed
Pope Francis holds people who are restless and uncomfortable close to his heart. He told young people in Belgium:
When I hear that a young man or woman is restless, I feel that it is my duty to serve these young people, to give a service to this restlessness, because this restlessness is like a seed, and later it will go on to give fruit. And, in this moment I feel that with you I am doing a service to that which is most precious, in this moment, which is your restlessness.
God is patient with you
Sometimes when we are restless and our story isn’t “clean” we hesitate to turn to God, fearing he might give up on us. Yet, the pope assures us that God will be patient and forgiving:
Complete forgiveness
God’s forgiveness is key for being at peace with ourselves. Pope Francis goes on to say:
You have a unique contribution to make to the world
Forgiveness gives us peace, calms our restlessness, and invites us to take ownership of our lives once more, as the Pope tells us:
You are precious
Whenever we’re upset, the pope advises us to remember one key thing: “You are precious to God. It would be beautiful for you to say it from the heart each time you are together, to each one, from the heart: ‘You are precious; you are precious …’”
These tips, taken from public addresses of the pope, are also collected in "Buona vita," a book with texts by the pope, published in Italian by Libreria Editrice Vaticana in collaboration with Libreria Pienogiorno.