Why can't women get along? Because we're afraid. We're afraid to be vulnerable. We're afraid to be soft. We're afraid to be hurt. But most of all, we're afraid of our power. So we become controlling and aggressive and vicious.
Iyanla VanzantRead
The only relationship we can have in this life is the relationship we have with ourselves. We cannot love anybody more than we love ourselves. We cannot treat anyone any better than we treat ourselves. When you forget you, give up on you, or devalue yourself, anyone coming into your life has a universal responsibility to follow your lead.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quality of our relationships with others is directly linked to how we perceive and value ourselves.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-respect as foundational to any relationship we have with others. It suggests that our ability to love and treat others well is contingent upon how we love and treat ourselves; if we neglect our self-worth, we inadvertently influence how others treat us in return.
Themes
Self-LoveRelationshipsSelf-RespectValueWorth
In practice
Example use cases
In a personal development workshop, Iyanla Vanzant's quote can inspire discussions about self-worth.
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You have a right to say no. Most of us have very weak and flaccid 'no' muscles. We feel guilty for saying no. We get ostracized and challenged for saying no, so we forget it's our choice. Your 'no' muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, 'I don't care if that's what you want. I don't want that. No.'
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