Who is our harshest critic? Who loves us least? Who evaluates us by our appearance, and not by our human qualities? Of course, we ourselves... Every day, standing in front of the mirror, we do not see a person, we see only the shortcomings of our body... There is such a parable: When- then, a long time ago, one wise old man once called his many disciples and showed them a sheet of blank paper on which there was only one single black dot. “What do you see here?” – asked the elder. “A point,” answered one. “A black point,” confirmed another. “A fat black point,” the third clarified. And then their beloved teacher began to cry. “Tell us, what are you crying so bitterly about?” – the students were surprised. “I’m crying because all my students saw only a small black dot and none of them noticed a clean white sheet... So we are used to seeing the negative sides first, without noticing the advantages. We evaluate, not accept... evaluate , based on stereotypes and beliefs. The only way to love yourself is unconditional acceptance, like a mother accepts her child. And we must start with the most difficult thing - accepting your body. Go to the mirror and look at yourself without judgment. Smile to yourself. Think about what qualities you possess that you are especially proud of. Praise yourself for your kindness or sharp mind, for your sincerity or generosity. Introduce yourself by name and say, “I love you.” Wish yourself a good day or good night with all your heart. Try to do this exercise every day! Remember, how we treat ourselves is how others treat us. Believe me, our loved ones, friends, and work colleagues don’t care how many extra pounds we’ve gained or how many wrinkles we’ve added to our face... Our human or professional qualities are important to them... They pay attention to flaws in appearance if we point them out ourselves (“You know, I’ve gained weight” or “I have cellulite,” etc.) Of course, you need to take care of yourself. Appearance matters, but not as much as we are used to giving it. The more flaws we find in ourselves, the lower our self-esteem. The more we focus on extra pounds, the more we gain them. The pursuit of standards and patterns makes us all identical and completely uninteresting. Let's remember that each of us is unique. We are different and that's great! Allow yourself to be who you are... For each of us is a Great Value that is part of the Creator! With love and respect to you! Your #psychologist Elena Grechenko