Here's to us

There's a relationship most of us neglect: the bond we build with ourselves. We scramble to impress others, but don’t really ask what we want. Start the year by changing this, and watch as the world shifts to see you better too

- Simran Mangharam

We think of a new year as a fresh start. We make resolutions aimed at improving our lives and relationships.

If these don't last very long, it’s because deep down we know very little has changed. We carry the same selves into the new calendar. Our fears, hurt and grudges still shape us.

I have learnt, through the course of my practice (and from life itself), that true happiness can only come from the people in our lives. Our levels of joy are intrinsically linked to the bonds we have with parents, siblings, partner, children, friends, colleagues. There’s a crucial bond that rarely makes this list, and should, though it shapes so much. This week, I'd like to focus on the bond we craft with ourselves.

Even those of us who are vigilant in our relationships tend to care far more about how others treat us. We almost never consider how we treat ourselves.