I find being myself very challenging. It’s much easier to compare myself to others and try to be like them. But of course that also generally means I’m discouraged and not really living how I like.
I’m a gardener, but I’m a slow, lazy, gardener and tend to let the weeds grow. I’m a mother and I like my children to be independent and try not to interfere too much. I’m an early riser and had to laugh when someone apologized for the “early hour” at 7:30. I’d already been up for a couple of hours of my own choosing. I’ve always had curly hair, even when stick straight hair was super popular and everyone owned a straightening iron. I go to parks with my kids in the winter, when there isn’t anybody around. I love yoga, but still cannot touch my toes without bending my knees. I like learning, and read non-ficition books and go to classes for fun.
I am myself. And I’m learning if I ever want to truly enjoy life and be successful, I should be Liz and not anyone else.
Liz Braithwaite 
Yeah. This. I think learning how to like yourself helps you appreciate other people better without wanting to be like that. I’m not the mom who sits down and had a great time playing and laughing with my kids that often–that’s not my strength. But I do give them their own space. I go outside and pull them around in a sled. I read books to them every day. I cuddle with them a lot. It’s sometimes so easy to point at your weaknesses and totally ignore your strengths.
It can be hard, too, because I don’t consider myself very likable or charismatic. That’s not really who I am, and I don’t think I ever really want to be like that. But I still have my own strengths–yeah, I don’t have a lot of friends, but I can be an awesome visiting teacher. And I’m not someone people call when they want to hang out, but sometimes they call when they need a babysitter. And I would rather be the second kind of person anyway.
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