it is...

"Why is this so f'ing hard?"
"It's stupid that this is so f'ing hard."
"This shouldn't be so f'ing hard."

And there were plenty more where those came from.
And for each one, my therapists answer was the same:


"It is f'ing hard."

I practiced it. I rolled it around my tongue. Played with inflection.
By shifting the words, by making that simple statement, my own judgement shifted.
It connected.

"It is F'ing hard."

I don't have to judge it, I don't have to judge myself, I don't have to worry about perceived judgement from others. It is a simple statement of fact:

It is f'ing hard.