Do you like who you are? Do you like who you’ve become?

When I ask people these questions, the first response out of their mouths is generally, “Yes.” But when I ask them what specific aspects of themselves they like, I can see their expressions change. This is where it gets trickier, where the impact of the question sets in, where the deer-in-the-headlights reaction switches on.

When you start realizing that people are NOT scrutinizing and judging your every word and deed, you’ll automatically feel less nervous socially. But that still leaves the way you feel about yourself. All too often, we’re our own worst critics. We’re hard on ourselves in a way we’d never be to strangers—let alone the people we care about.

We all have things that we don’t like about ourselves. Do these sound familiar?

“My legs are too thin.”
“I hate my stomach.”
“I don’t like…