How does one feel good? Feel happy?
These thoughts often occupy my mind.
To me, happiness and flourishing are interchangeable. If you're flourishing, you're happy, and vice versa. This flourishing encompasses various dimensions of our being, be it spiritual, intellectual, physical, or more.
And yes, there's a multitude of elements that any human needs to feel whole and flourish. We need great relationships, intellectual stimulation, meaningful projects, and a clear understanding of our role in society. But the focus I want to touch on most is self-love.
Self-love is something I've struggled with, something I haven't practiced enough. It's not merely an intellectual exercise, I've realized. It's a daily practice. It's like a muscle, and self-love as a muscle is one of the best metaphors I think you can have. If you don't exercise it regularly, it can atrophy.
So how am I exercising my self-love? I've found tools like an app called BrainTap, a device you put on your head for guided meditation, and I'm also trying out Waking Up, created by Sam Harris, which offers various self-love meditations.
Part of why I care so much about self-love is that I find myself still measuring my worth based on metrics and social status hierarchies. I don't like that. I want to be happy regardless of the numbers, the accolades, or how well-known I am at any given moment.
I want to know myself. I want to love myself. I want to take intentional steps to get there, and it's my responsibility to get there on my own.
Through my experiences in building brands and shaping influence, I've learned that the relationship we have with ourselves is foundational. It's what enables us to be better leaders and inspire others. The lessons I'm learning in self-love are shaping both my personal brand and how I approach the world.
I'm on a journey, diligently exercising self-love every day, understanding its essential role in happiness, and making it a priority. It's an ongoing process, but one that I'm committed to, for a life of true flourishing.