Being selfish is not an endearing characteristic. However, loving and accepting yourself is. The hard part is the line between the two. The Webster dictionary defines selfish as ‘seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others’. But it is unlikely we need a dictionary to define it for us as we all know or have interacted with selfish people.

We all too will have interacted with people who actually love themselves, who are confident and comfortable in their own skin. People who have accepted themselves, warts and all. Unfrotunately these folk are rare. And yet we desperately need more of them.

Self love, self confidence, self acceptance – whatever you want to call it is crtical in change leadership. Too often our identity is connected with our ideas, our position, our job. But then, we meet folk who are creating change, people from all walks of life, who fully bought into the idea, and yet the idea is not them. And so, when we question their idea or direction, it is not personal, they can listen and hear what the critics are saying. And even change course. Because it is not about them.

Weridly, when we love ourselves, we become more self-less. We are not need to prove ourselves anymore. We’ve ‘arrived’ even though the journey continues.

Unfortunately most of us were never taught to love ourselves. It’s often a personal journey. And we need more of us to take journey as we need more change makers to lead us.

Photo by Chela B.