Self Love
BY CINDY HSIEH @_CMXHSI
Cindy Hsieh is a proponent for minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). She has been involved in advocacy and entrepreneurship groups on university campuses, as well as American Mensa Leadership workshops to foster new ideas and growth for equality. Her love for the arts has continued to shine through her volunteer work as a piano performer in hospitals and on a daily basis through her drawing and writing. Cindy is working towards further connecting with her Asian-American identity and sharing her experiences with others. Dedicated to the Most Important Person “How are you?” It’s such a simple question that I often ask others. It’s a question that we have all been taught to ask as the polite thing to do. Of course, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that not many people care for the answer to that question. However, there will always be a few people who do ask out of the kindness of their heart and will sympathize with your response if you answer genuinely.
From my adventures through singleness, one of the most important lessons I have learned is that living in the present doesn’t just mean acknowledging my physical feelings, but also my internal ones. I started noticing my consciousness would never address my emotions until they got to be an overload on my system. This became an issue that built up. Slowly, I realized I had a choice when I felt a certain way. I could build up my self-esteem and give myself encouragement instead of pushing myself away. After all, no one else would do it for me. It dawned on me that in my past relationships while I would give and give, I would think that those actions were enough for someone to choose me as a partner. What I didn’t acknowledge was that my internal actions towards myself were manifesting into reality. Often, our external environments mirror our internal ones, and how was I to expect someone to choose me when I neglected to choose myself. I neglected my own needs. I neglected my own happiness. I neglected my
“One of the most important observations was how my self-judgment prevented me from truly being open in a relationship.”
Though, what never dawned on me was how little we ask ourselves this question. We aren’t taught to check in with ourselves, and we aren’t taught to sympathize with our responses. Instead, we often critique our own emotions and judge ourselves for how we feel. I am a culprit of this as well. How ironic is this response, though, right? I know I would never respond in the same manner towards another person. So, why is that? Why do I treat myself so differently?
17 | Overachiever Magazine
