We have probably all heard the expression "Treat others as you want to be treated" but what about the opposite? Do you treat yourself as good as you treat others? For me, I always have a tenancy to put others first, to prioritize others needs over my own and say things to myself that I wouldn't dream of saying to others. We have to change this narrative and be our own advocate, giving ourselves what we so frequently give others and treating ourselves with love and respect instead.

Sometimes we are looking for answers but we have the answer in front of us, we just don't want to hear it. Maybe it's a change we don't want to make, something we don't want to sacrifice or a trauma that we think is too painful to face. Whatever it is, searching for things to work on as a distraction from the real issue is not going to work in your favor, if anything, it will only mean that you have more problems to deal with and less energy. No matter how terrifying it may be, the ramifications of not working on the thing you know you should be working on will be much worse in the long run.

Recently, I have come in to contact with people that are really good listeners and they made me realise that I have a lot of improvement to make on how I listen to people. My tendency to try and solve problems as soon as they arrive can mean I am more focused on looking for a solution than listening when someone is telling me their problems. Silence is golden and sometimes it is only in the absence of a response will people really tell you what they need to say.

We place so much pressure on ourselves to be good at things. At some point in our lives we forget how to play and get lost in the serious. I have previously fallen into the trap of treating everything I do like it's work, like I have to do it instead of doing it because I enjoy it. Life is too short to not do the things we love or do them in such a way that means we no longer love them.

Self-Acceptance is something that most of us make a conscious effort to improve, but how far can you take it. What limits have you imposed on your acceptance physically, mentally and spiritually. We often restrict ourselves and filter who we are to be more palatable to other people but what would your life look like if you could be truly 100 percent authentically you with total confidence. Why does that seem like something outside the realm of possibility? It's not! It may be a long road, but a prerequisite to peace is acceptance.

Too many of us are ruled by the opinions of others, we do, say and act in whatever way we feel will be most well received by others. Treating life as a popularity contest rather than carving our own lanes and doing what we love. There has been far too many times in my life that I have let others dictate the way I live my life and it has taken years of work to build the strength of character enough to say no, I will live the way I want to live and do the things I want to do because that is what is best for me. I know my intentions and I know who I am, do you?

With each repetition of a pattern we ingrain it into the fibers of our being deeper and deeper, this can be a powerful tool for good but also a huge block too. Habits can serve to aid our development, learning and recovery but they can also trap us in ignorance and malpractice. Just because you have been doing it or not doing it all your life, it doesn't inherently make it the right thing to do, but unfortunately it can be incredibly challenging to get over these things and break the cycle. Just because it causes pain or discomfort though, doesn't mean it is the wrong thing to do and if you are going to hold on to a particular belief so tightly, you should at least understand your reasoning for doing so.

Go with the flow! It is a cliche I know, but one that is far too commonly dismissed. Life has ups and downs but often we find ourselves chasing the ups instead of embracing our downs. Instead of running from what you are feeling, feel it. Allow yourself to feel, without judgment, ridicule or shame. Sometimes something you think is the worst moment of your life can give life to the best moment of it too.

Sometimes we can be so focused on our goals, dreams and aspirations, look far ahead into the future, that we miss what is right in front of us. Opportunities present themselves all the time if you are open to them, but unfortunately we miss so much of what is intended for us because we are ignoring what is in front for what we think we want.

We all want to believe that we are in control of our own lives, but often we delude ourselves into believing we are far more in control that we probably are. We are constantly at the whim of unknown variables and random circumstances that give life its beautiful unpredictability, variability and colour. The more we convince ourselves we are in control and the less we are able to surrender to happenstance, the greater levels of anxiety we are likely to experience. Control and an obsession with outcome are the very heart of anxiety.