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
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.