A very brief guide to loving yourself

According to me and supported by Lao Tzu, Maya Angelou and Oscar Wilde.

We live in a world constantly telling us we're not good enough.

Magazines scream at us to lose weight; social media floods our feeds with carefully curated images of perfection, and family members subtly (or not-so-subtly) comment on our shortcomings. It's no wonder that so many of us struggle with low self-esteem and an inability to love ourselves.

As the great thinker Alain de Botton once said, "It is an old paradox that what we are best at doing for others, we find hardest to do for ourselves."

So, let's dive in and figure out how to love ourselves back.

As philosopher Lao Tzu wisely said, the first step is to "stop running."

We're all guilty of it - frantically searching for external validation, comparing ourselves to an unattainable ideal, and perpetually trying to fix our "flaws."

As Lao Tzu reminds us, "Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

Instead of trying to be someone we're not, we must learn to accept ourselves, flaws and all. Self-acceptance is the hinge on which the gates of happiness swing.

So take a deep breath, look in the mirror, and say, "I am enough." Repeat it and again until you start to believe it.

Next, we must learn to be our own best friend.

As the iconic philosopher and poet Maya Angelou once said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

So treat yourself with the same kindness, patience, and understanding that you would extend to your closest confidante.

When you are self-critical, ask yourself, "Would I say this to my best friend?" If the answer is no, then it's time to stop the negative self-talk. Instead, remind yourself of your strengths, accomplishments, and what makes you uniquely you. As Angelou so wisely advised, "You are the only you that will ever exist. Don't waste that."

Finally, we must learn to embrace our imperfections.

As the brilliant thinker and humorist Oscar Wilde once quipped, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." So, instead of fighting against our flaws, let's learn to love them. After all, Imperfection is not our curse but our beauty.

Stop running, accept yourself as you are, be your own best friend, and embrace your imperfections. As Oscar Wilde aptly said, "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."