“Intimacy begins with oneself. It does no good to try to find intimacy with friends, lovers, and family if you are starting out from alienation and division within yourself.”
(Thomas Moore)

The biggest mistake we make in relationships is seeking from others what we can only give to ourselves:

your parents’ praise cannot give you true self-esteem
having a kid cannot grow your self-worth
oneness with another cannot complete you

This doesn’t mean in order to have relationships, you have to have it all together first. It just means instead of expecting your relationships to heal your struggles, expect them to continually reveal those struggles, and challenge you to grow through them.

Peace begins with pause,