I always grew up with the sense that I had to please others, and that part of my responsibility as a person was to be nice to other people and forge loving friendships. To be nice to people instead of telling them, “no.” What I didn’t learn until I got into the real world was…

I accept myself unconditionally: all of my flaws, the mistakes I’ve made in the past, who I used to be, who I am today, and who I will become in the future. It wasn’t until recently that I fully accepted myself and fully forgave myself for the mistakes I’ve made in the past – to…