6 Ways to Embrace Yourself and Connect with Others

Did you have a pen pal as a kid? I loved sitting down, writing and sharing something from my heart, funny or serious. I was able to share my authentic self to someone else in a meaningful way. I remembered how excited I was when my letter arrived in the mail. It was a wonderful experience to hold a letter that someone else took the time and thought to write just for me.

My first pen pal was assigned to me in the 5th grade. She was another 5th grader from Alabama. In the 6th grade, I was assigned my second pen pal from Germany. Both pen pals added so much to my learning because of their cultures as they were different from mines growing up in Illinois.

Writing a letter provides time for us to be ourselves, honest, dream, listen and understanding. It can be hard to embrace ourselves, especially if we’ve been taught that we need to change based on so-called norms in our society and/or culture. Meaningful connections with others have been lost due to our overuse of social media and texting. I love technology and its benefits, but nothing will ever replace the human connection needed within ourselves or from others.

Ways to embrace yourself and connect with others now:

1. Do not wait until you find someone to like or love you - start small by saying one kind thing a day to yourself
2. Do not wait until you lose weight - pick a body part, appreciate it right now and do this at least for a week
3. Share with others, no texting, how you really feel – write a letter to a loved one telling what you love about them and how they support you
4. Give yourself a break – it is okay to rest when you feel exhausted; give yourself permission
5. Avoid criticizing yourself – having a rough week is normal and it is OK if you overate, next time try to turn to something that is more nourishing
6. Tell yourself the truth – how do you want to be treated, what are you not willing to do, what are your needs?
   
   

When we embrace ourselves, we are being kind to ourselves and not judgmental or bashing. When we embrace ourselves, we can see more clearly. This presents a valuable learning opportunity about ourselves, what works and does not work, while identifying a solution to our problems and taking great care of ourselves. If you do not know who you are, now would be the perfect time to be curious instead of angry with yourself. Embracing ourselves can seem like a big, complicated task, but it can be done this minute.

Start now!