Each of us comes into the world alone and leaves this world alone.
Along the way, we develop relationships with our families, friends, schoolmates, co-workers,
neighbours and social groups. As humans, we need other people in order to not only survive but to
thrive.
Human beings need to feel the touch of another human being. We need other people to encourage,
support, provide feedback, challenge, nurture and love us. The quality of our external relationships
is a testimony to how well we do those things.
It is the quality of our relationship with ourselves though, that is the subject of this article.
We are the only one who is with us all day every day, from the moment of birth to the moment we
die. Yet many of us spend our whole lives unhappy with the person we are. We speak and judge
ourselves more harshly than we would ever judge anyone else. Many of us continually criticise
everything about ourselves from what we look like, what we eat, how we spend our time, our
money, what we should have said or done, what we shouldn’t have said or done and on and on we
go.
Many of us are constantly looking outside of ourselves for validation and approval. We turn
ourselves inside out trying to fit in and be acceptable to some arbitrary standard. To be good
enough, worthy enough, lovable enough, desirable enough, thin enough, strong enough…enough of
anything and everything to gain the love and approval we seek… from others.
The thing is, we only seek this approval externally when we don’t love and accept ourselves for
ourselves. When we are not enough for us and when we don’t approve of ourselves.
Imagine how your life might be different if you stopped judging yourself. If you stopped trying to
meet someone else’s standards about what is good, worthy, desirable, lovable enough.
What if we loved and accepted ourselves in all our glorious humanness – flaws and all? What if we
spoke to ourselves like we were our own best friend – with gentleness, kindness and understanding?
What if we recognised that our growth lies in our willingness to accept and love the truth of who we
really are? That we are perfectly imperfect – just as we are.
We share life with others, yet our journey is our own.
If you are interested in a better relationship with you, you might like to consider our personal
mentoring program. Feel free to give us a call on +61 3 9016 9575
