Apr 7, 2011

Self regard

"Friendship with oneself is very important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world." Eleanor Roosevelt

The above statement seems very true to me. Our society seems to vacillate between hammering one's self esteem and distorting it by exaggerated ways to bolster it. Recent research has delved into the practice in schools and communities over recent decades of the emphasis on building up children's self esteem to an exaggerated degree. But, if you were born during earlier eras, as I was, then you probably were someone who experienced society's damaging impact on how you felt about yourself. So, repair we must. Positive self regard is imperative before we can truly have regard for others. The more we love and accept ourselves for who we are, the better we will be for others. During this time of providing dementia caregiving, let us not forget to honor ourselves, to love ourselves. What about yourself in your capacity as dementia caregiver do you most admire? That is a good place to start.

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