Having a good relationship with yourself is complex because of the depth of shared experience.  The fewer conflicting needs and less complexity in a relationship, the easier it is for an average emotionally intelligent person to be successful with another person, given a similar baseline level of harmony.  I feel like certain words like “self-esteem” and “gratitude” can mislead us to an oversimplification of a complex relationship when it comes to our internal experience and make us feel like we’re failing in some way. I love witnessing friendships, romantic relationships, business partnerships, parent/child relationships that are joyful and successful over the long-term.  I see markers of success as relationships with high levels of affinity and mutual respect with resilience in the face of difficult external circumstances.  If you ask these people about their relationships, they will often speak to the merits of the other person and go on to say they’ve had ups and downs and that it takes a lot of work.  But somehow, we don’t seem to apply this wisdom to the relationship to ourselves- that we’re nifty people, but being us has ups and downs and takes a lot of presence to the relationship for it to thrive.  In this rather rambling episode, I speak into some of my wisdom about reframing concepts like self-esteem, gratitude, and self-sabotage.  I hope to support you in implementing unconditional friendliness towards yourself as well as a willingness to be in the complexity of balancing the needs and desires that go alone with being you. Join my mailing list to learn more and receive additional free content: https://handsoverheart.com/contact-me/mailing-list/ Want to support my work and be supported by my team of guides?  Check out my Patreon offer: https://www.patreon.com/practicalshamanism Check out my online academy at https://academy.handsoverheart.com/  Sound editing by Kevin Young.  You can reach him at [email protected] DISCLAIMER: The suggestions and information provided here are intended for personal growth and exploration. The content of this podcast is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or psychological treatment. Please seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.   To learn more about me and my work, please visit my website at https://handsoverheart.com