Out of all the self-help terms, we hear about self-advocacy less often. In the beginning of any healing journey, we’re consumed with self-care, self preservation, self-protection.

Before I started my healing journey, a voice inside my head would whisper, “that’s not for you,” anytime I thought about something I wanted. Feeling unworthy came as naturally to me as breathing.

I recently read a book called Deeper Dating. In it, the author says the things we hide are our greatest and core gifts.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “playing small”, it means hiding parts of yourself or settling for less because you don’t want to offend or eclipse others. Playing small is an insidious form of self-abandonment that puts others’ comfort ahead of your own liberation.

Did you know that self-sabotage is a misguided form of self-protection? Yes, self-sabotage is your inner child’s way of keeping you safe.

We hear a lot about self-acceptance these days, but what about self-approval? Wouldn’t you rather go beyond mere acceptance to lavishing wholehearted approval on yourself?

What does it mean to choose yourself and why is it so important? For many of us, the concept sounds selfish. But, the best way to serve the world is to put yourself first.

Have you ever held back thoughts and opinions to avoid conflict? Neglected to express yourself fully for fear of the consequences?

We’d never speak to someone else the way our inner critic does when we make a mistake or fall short of reaching a goal.

What is confidence and why do some people have it and others don’t? In a nutshell, it’s a sense of feeling good about yourself and displaying that to the world.

As the result of growing up in an emotional desert, I learned to stay small, even invisible. I turned down countless opportunities to stand out starting in elementary school.

Years ago, I had a session with a therapist who helped me work through some of my self-worth issues that resulted from childhood abuse and neglect.