self

All the great modern Christmas action classics give us heroes pretending to be something they’re not at first before passing through a crucible that brings them closer to their truer selves.

However, IFS incorporates a recognition of the self that is almost spiritual in nature — similar to the soul in Christianity or Atman in Hinduism.

In its least manageable moments, early motherhood must feel like an unpaid job with no breaks, an inarticulate boss and working conditions designed to strip all that’s civil from one’s sense of self.

The pressure and intensity of competition means there is no hiding one's true self.

It’s even better when the person telling the story is their most authentic self.