“The most important relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself.”
Do you know who you are? Can you identify what it is you really want in life? How do you define yourself?
We are often taught that we need to be more concerned about others than ourselves. Unfortunately, this leads to a lack of identity and a sense of self-abandonment. We are taught to be people pleasers and to behave in a manner that others desire. We are taught to like the same things as our friends if we want to be included and liked. We are taught to keep our thoughts to ourselves so as not to upset or offend others. Does this sound familiar?
I have a deep passion for inner work, both within myself and showing others the power that it can provide. It’s time to get curious about who you are, what you stand for and why you are here. It’s about awareness of what makes you you and how you fit into this great big world. It is about learning how to love and accept the uniqueness that is you, in this exact moment.
To begin to cultivate the relationship with yourself, start with these 4 suggestions:
- Speak to yourself as you would a close friend of yours. We typically have our negative inner dialogue which is critical and harsh. You wouldn’t say those things to a friend so don’t speak to yourself like that.
- Create a list of your 5 priorities in life; the things that matter most to you.
- Create a list of activities YOU enjoy, allow this to grow and evolve.
- Figure out how you recharge. Do you need to be alone? Do you need to be with others? Do you do it exercising or watching a movie? Make sure to include this time for yourself as often as necessary.
Curiosity is Key. Focus on the why behind your thoughts, behaviors and feelings.
How do you know if you are happy or not if you don’t know what happiness means to you? How do you know when you will be happy if you have nothing to measure against?
Value yourself as a person and respect your strengths and weaknesses.
You cannot have a healthy, loving, respectful relationship with another if you can’t have that with yourself. Your relationship with yourself always becomes a projection onto others.
Evaluate your internal processes: What am I feeling? Why do I feel depressed lately? What happened recently that may be contributing to the emotions that I am experiencing?
“If you do not love yourself and entirely and ensure that your own needs are met, you will find it difficult to do the same for others.” Zaid K. Dahhaj “Once you love and accept all aspects of yourself completely and treat yourself that way, once you become grounded and centered in your being, serving and empowering others will come naturally.”