Oscar Wilde said it best: “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong journey.” Too bad, we’re often shown examples of how to love someone or something else – a sibling, a pet, an elderly relative – but not guided to love oneself. Rooted in all of this is a common blind spot: that of practicing self-kindness.
We’re quick to offer a loved one solace, a listening ear but when it comes to our own happiness and needs, the motivation wanes, and something or someone else becomes more important. As a result, our needs are deprioritised, our wellbeing compromised and we carry on the vicious cycle of ignoring our own happiness.
So the next time you catch yourself flagrantly ignoring what you really want, remember that being kind to yourself is not the same as being selfish, it’s actually about wanting what’s best for you.
