To be friends with ourselves is something that we were never taught before as we have been so used to making new friends since we were kids. From kindergarten, even all the way to work we are forced by nature to be friends with people around us most of the time. But what happens when we grow up and have a different path from that we have the same starting line with? Because the journey we are all about to start will eventually drive us apart. And on that journey, we will get in the depth of ourselves.
When being criticized, our initial reaction would be annoyed or even angry, but how far do we know ourselves? Being defensive is normal, but how should we react to criticism, especially the encouraging one? It is a normal reaction since we thought we know ourselves best, but to which depth?
Embracing our flaws means that we are accepting that it exists in other people's perspectives, and it's a self-love practice. How we cope with ourselves during highs and lows would determine our values to make better decisions. It is indeed because we have gained our values and set our boundaries, which we promise to never cross. Values that we carry are the ones that eventually affect our decision-making in life, not only in our careers but also in daily life. We will know what we bring to the table, what we offer, and not settle for less.
How we deal with our life issues will also be different from others or even from our younger selves, bursting with negative emotions would be a no-no as we won't be able to control them. We would be thinking with a cold head instead of emotions, not making abrupt decisions that we will eventually regret. And then, how do we get to know ourselves? By taking ourselves outside. Eat alone. Watch movies alone. Be on our own, and not rely on others. We can go out and completely depend on ourselves, starting from small things such as going to malls, then taking higher steps like going on vacation alone. It is when we are on our own we will make the best decisions for ourselves, and when we look back to those decisions we made, we will know how far we have changed, how far we've matured, and being with ourselves is okay, too.
