You know that moment when someone asks what you want for dinner and you say, “I do not mind,” even though you absolutely do? Or when you have a thought in a meeting, feel it forming, and then watch someone else speak before you because you have already decided theirs will sound better? Shrinking yourself does not always look dramatic. It can happen in tiny, almost forgettable moments. You laugh off the thing that hurt you. You say yes before checking whether you have the time

In the back of our minds there is a question that can feel almost selfish just for asking it. Is it okay to love myself more than I love other people? For some people, the immediate answer will be no. We are taught to love our family. To care for our friends. To put our children first. To be there for the people we love. To make sacrifices. To give. To forgive. To put other people before ourselves. There is something beautiful about caring deeply for other people. But what ha