Have you ever wanted something really badly but you didn’t get the outcome you’d hoped for?   Maybe you wanted a new job, new relationship, new lifestyle change but didn’t really believe you could ever make it happen?
 
Well you can stop telling yourself it’s because you’re a failure (I know what those little voices inside your head are saying).  Part of the frustration could be that your goal is irrational or unrealistic, or maybe it’s as simple as not having a good enough reason “why”!

I remember when I was growing up that if you were ever caught looking at yourself in the mirror, you’d be criticised for “loving yourself”.  

I can also recall adults saying it about other adults.  If someone displayed too much confidence they’d be dismissed as “just loving themselves too much”.

Unfortunately, the thought or suggestion of loving yourself can have negative connotations, particularly in a country where the 'tall poppy' syndrome is alive and well.

How can you expect others to love you if you don't love yourself?

Around the time we start going to school we soon learn that the world doesn’t centre around us.  Our ego settles and the long process of developing our self-esteem begins.  The words spoken to us, our experiences and the way we’re treated and told to behave then influence the direction our self-esteem will take.