When we can accept ourselves, even on our toughest days, there’s no more need to hide or pretend. We don’t have to puff ourselves up. We don’t have to drag others down in order to feel okay about ourselves. We don’t have to curate how we show up, only willing to share the most filtered versions of who we are because we’re scared of being judged or rejected. 

Something else really amazing happens in the healing practice of self-love: We start to soften towards others. We have more grace for others’ moments of imperfection, because we’re already practicing that gentle honesty with ourselves. When we do mess up, it’s less scary to admit it and to make things right, because we already know that we still have value even when we’re not perfect. Our relationships become vehicles for growth, connection, and transformation, rather than just performance.