Be Your Own Best Friend

Relationships can be challenging, and are often at the root of emotional issues and addictions. While you’re doing some of the work to repair and rebuild your relationships with others, you can start by being your own best friend.

It’s very empowering to know that we can not only take of ourselves, but that we are complete on our own without needing someone else to fill anything in. Being that comfortable with oneself starts from the self-awareness from having looked within. Journaling, therapy and 12-step programs are all excellent ways to accomplish that.

This process will also help build acceptance – first for yourself, and then also for others. It’s a way of validating whatever thoughts or feelings come up, and then working on healing or changing them. This way, nothing – and no one – has to be “wrong.” It just is what it is, until it is something different.

The title of this blog post was inspired by a book I’ve had for many years, called How to Be Your Own Best Friend by Mildred Newman and Bernard Berkowitz. They have some really neat suggestions, including:

• Having a “bedroom slipper day” – my version of this is allowing yourself a day to just be at home, not pushing yourself beyond what is healthy for you
• Seeing the source of happiness as being within, not outside of ourselves somewhere (a good reminder)
• Just as the title says: Being  your own best friend is the ultimate friendship; liking yourself, feeling fulfilled and true to yourself