Discovering Self-Respect and Making Informed Choices: Lessons from Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Tiny, Beautiful Things’ Book
Thoughts on the enhancing our perception on love and life by reading “Tiny Beautiful Things” by Cheryl Strayed
“Trusting yourself means living out what you already know to be true.”
Developing self-respect is an important but challenging concept to put into practice. Today’s media often emphasizes self-care and self-love, which can help increase our respect for ourselves. However, self-love is rooted in the concept of self-respect, which can help us embrace other related concepts and ultimately lead to greater self-love. By prioritizing self-respect, we can create a foundation for a healthier and more fulfilling life.
“Tiny, Beautiful Things” by Cheryl Strayed is a remarkable collection of essays and responses that showcases her unique writing style. The book is a compilation of essays to which she responds using the pseudonym “Sugar.” Originally a feature in The Rumpus, an online magazine, the book provides a platform for readers to air out their real-life concerns and receive honest advice through the anonymity of the internet. The anonymous nature of the column makes it a safe space for readers to share their concerns without fear of judgment. Cheryl Strayed’s book “Tiny Beautiful Things” addresses some of the most heartbreaking letters from readers seeking advice, and Sugar’s responses are characterized by clarity, empathy, and most importantly, honesty, making this book a must-read for anyone seeking guidance on life’s challenges.
Cheryl Strayed’s book challenges readers to expand their understanding of love and life in the present moment, an act of self-respect in itself. Through her powerful words, Strayed addresses common questions and feelings about love, relationships, heartache, and difficult situations, providing clarity and insight. Reading the book helped me become more aware of my surroundings, people’s intentions, and my own thoughts about my personal circumstances, leading me to ponder what it means to truly love oneself and how to cultivate self-respect to further personal growth.
Building respect is crucial in any relationship, including the one with yourself. When a foundation of respect exists, no matter the situation, there is always room for civil interaction. Respect establishes that each person is deserving of a certain standard of acknowledgement, fostering healthier relationships. However, it’s worth considering whether we extend that same level of respect and acknowledgement to ourselves. It’s all too common to neglect our own standards and boundaries in an effort not to inconvenience others. This begs the question, what kind of relationship are we establishing with ourselves if we don’t show up for ourselves? It’s important to prioritize our own self-respect and establish a healthy relationship with ourselves, just as we would in any other relationship.
The unifying theme is resilience and faith. The unifying theme is being a warrior and a motherfucker. It is not fragility. It’s strength. It’s nerve.
Cheryl Strayed’s book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of life and love. As Sugar, she provides insightful responses to emails and letters from readers seeking guidance. Reading the letters, I found myself connecting with many of the questions and concerns raised, and I appreciated the wisdom and clarity of Sugar’s responses. What stood out to me most was the “Golden Rule” of “Trust Yourself,” which urges readers to be honest with themselves and validate their true feelings. This powerful message prompts introspection and self-discovery, challenging readers to delve deeper into their own beliefs and emotions.
Trusting our feelings and acknowledging what’s going on in our world is a necessary step towards self-respect. It allows us to ask the hard questions and make informed decisions that are in our best interest. Strayed’s book encourages this process of self-discovery and prompts readers to validate their true feelings. With a clearer understanding of our circumstances, we become more aware of what we need and what we will and won’t tolerate. We begin to prioritize our own self-respect and are no longer willing to compromise our values. Understanding a situation and a person’s intentions can solidify our approach and strengthen our commitment to self-respect.
Like many readers, I’ve faced challenging situations that made me question my choices. I realized that I had a choice to make: stay in uncomfortable situations or take the high road. I chose the latter, which helped me become more independent. Strayed’s book is inspirational because it encourages self-respect and making choices that align with our values. Sometimes, walking away from compromising situations is necessary, despite the sacrifice and uncertainty. Staying true to ourselves is always worth it.
“…Boundaries have nothing to do with whether you love someone or not. They are not judgments, punishments, or betrayals. They are a purely peaceable thing: the basic principles you identify for yourself that define the behaviors that you will tolerate from others, as well as the responses you will have to those behaviors. Boundaries teach people how to treat you, and they teach you how to respect yourself.”
With that sense of clarity, we’re now able to start practicing self-respect. Self-respect is all about understanding you and your boundaries. As well as listening to your inner voice that’ll describe what’s acceptable for you. Implementing that practice will indicate to others on how they can treat you. So my question is, do you hold yourself in high regard?
As I’ve said before, respect is the basis for any healthy relationship, even when things don’t work out. Respect creates the standard at which people are allowed to treat you. It’s also an act of self-love, which targets fulfilling your own needs as a person. It’s an act of valuing yourself, and although this book targets those universal themes and circumstances that might not always be about respect, I feel that a lot of the advice that Strayed gives, is in regards to valuing yourself and your needs as a person, because it’s necessary.
It’s through these stories that I’m learning, and hopefully you’ll find yourself learning too, that even though our journey is ours alone, we’re still connected through the human experience. Sometimes sharing stories, gives us a better sense of ourselves, and I believe we should always be looking to discovering and creating who we are. It’s in that knowing, that we can establish what our needs are. It’s in Strayed’s advice, that I found pieces of my own self-worth. Self-respect and prioritizing your needs and values, demonstrates that you are valuable and worthy of love to others as well.
Establishing boundaries for yourself, will only strengthen your sense of self-worth and attract the right types of people towards you. I think building a sense of understanding, seeing things for what they are, and actively choosing what we allow into our lives is not only beneficial in the long term, but can become the foundation that will serve you for life. As Sugar says, “Take part in your life.” This life is yours and yours alone, so make the decisions that you know deep in your heart that serve you. That’s also a form of self-love; taking yourself into consideration.
This book is beautiful. It’s one that I’ll consistently read over as time progresses. It’s taught me so many things, and sometimes all it takes is a bit of perspective. It targets a lot of difficult subjects, and I think the option to remain anonymous gives people a sense of courage that helps them be vulnerable, but these tend to be subjects that many people are unable to discuss openly otherwise. I think to overcome that first step and to address the things that make us uncomfortable are incredibly brave, and also necessary.
