Developing a strong sense of self is one of the most under-appreciated ways to be happy. To have healthy relationships, with others and with yourself.
It’s not often understood, and as a result, problems in this area cause problems in all areas of our lives.
Let me point out just some of the common symptoms of an under-developed sense of self:
- People pleasing
- Conflict avoidance
- Not being honest about how you feel
- Losing yourself in a relationship
- Distancing yourself from your partner when you’re afraid
- Hiding things, cheating on your partner
- Not being able to take care of your needs or emotions
- Being afraid of intimacy or relationships
- Not setting boundaries, feeling overrun or overburdened by others, resenting it
This is a link
As you can see, the issues come up especially in relationship with others (with your partner, family, friends, coworkers, etc.) … but because of that, it affects almost everything in your life, even when you’re alone.
If you can develop a strong sense of self, you will start to address these problems and more, resulting in a massive transformation of your life.
This is obviously a huge topic that I can’t cover fully in one article, but let’s discuss the essentials.