Welcome back, kindred spirits.
In this post, I want to explore the meaning of being a friend to yourself.
Seneca wrote, “What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.”
I have wrestled with this idea for quite some time now because this thought is incredibly subjective, and so everyone has their own opinion of what it means to be a friend to yourself. Until recently, I really struggled to form my own opinion as I often found myself on extreme ends of thinking depending on my state of being.
It’s becoming increasingly common in our current culture to see articles, social media posts, videos, and podcasts address topics on self-care and self-love. Conventional advice on self-care and self-love tend to gravitate towards actions and thoughts such as:
- Embrace your flaws
- Enjoy your own company
- Permit yourself to feel things
- Be more forgiving to yourself
- Indulge in retail therapy
- Don’t work too hard or too much
- Take a bubble bath
- Be kinder to yourself
