If we step back and really look at ourselves objectively, many times we would see how we ask (or demand) from others what we don’t even give ourselves. We ask for others to do for us what we won't even do for ourselves.
We ask to be respected.
We ask to be trusted.
We ask to be believed.
We ask to be loved.
We ask others to take a risk for us, when we don’t trust ourselves enough to take the same risk for ourselves.
It all starts from inside-out. Outside-in may work sometimes, especially when we are really good at convincing others, but it’s only superficial and temporary.
So we need to ask ourselves, in those quiet undistracted moments when we put down our phones and stop scrolling,
Do we respect ourselves?
Do we trust ourselves?
Do we believe in ourselves?
Do we love ourselves?
If not enough just yet, those are very good places to start to make things better for ourselves and for the people around us.