The Relationship with Yourself
Of all the relationships we cultivate in our lifetime, the most important one is with yourself. No matter how many people you surround yourself with, at the end of the day the only person who can truly make you happy is you!
I know for some of you it may sound silly to focus on yourself, or you may feel as though it’s the people in your life that make you truly happy. But get this, you made yourself truly happy by choosing to be around those that make you feel that way! It’s true, sometimes we make decisions that cause us to feel unhappy, so then it is our responsibility to respond by pushing forward, accepting ourselves, and not wallowing in our mistakes. The key to happiness and empowerment is self-love. Knowing how to love yourself is the ultimate tool to have in life.
In order to have the best relationship with yourself, you must confront yourself and accept who you are. Put your focus toward all the things you are and not on the things you are not. If you want to change things you don’t like about yourself, you have all the power to do so. A lot of what stops us from fully committing to loving ourselves is fear. The path to self- doubt is always easier than the one to self-praise, so it may be a struggle at first. You may not feel great about yourself, but don’t let that feeling consume you. Make the choice to change your habits and patterns of thinking and believe that you will conquer the negativity in the end. No one is perfect—and thinking that way will only cause you to be unkind to yourself.
How you treat yourself is important and influences the rest of your life. The way you treat yourself is how others will treat you. The golden rule isn’t just a way to conduct your relationships with others, it’s also what you must do in order to have a good relationship with yourself. Having self-worth and self-respect starts with self-love. Despite what you may believe, no one can help you attain those things except for you. Self-love comes from doing things that make you feel happy inside and growing from mistakes by making better choices in the future.
It may be difficult to understand that it’s important to make time and space for you but it’s completely essential for your own wellbeing. Don’t get lost in a sea of relationships with others and neglect yourself. You must not forget about your own needs and tend to everyone else’s. You are the maker of your standards and boundaries. Do not be afraid to stand up for them! Alone time is very important. It’s training for how to accept yourself and be your own champion. The more you like yourself and work on the relationship with yourself, the more others will respect you. Trust your instincts, don’t speak badly about yourself, and remember your needs and desires matter, too. Take time alone to indulge in what you love to do and work on being kind to yourself. Access to self-love is not only a tool that will help you survive, it’s the pathway to living a self-actualized, happy and healthy life. It allows you to be your best advocate, your greatest support system, and your finest confidant.
