THINGS I NEVER SAID TO MYSELF BY DUDUZILE NOELEEN NGWENYA

The key concepts of Duduzile Noeleen Ngwenya's Things I Never Said To Myself focus on developing a healthier, more authentic relationship with oneself through introspection and self-compassession:

• Necessity of Radical Honesty with Self: The foundational principle that genuine healing and clarity begin only when an individual is completely honest about their hidden feelings, needs, and pain, rather than suppressing them.
• Permission to Feel and Grieve: The validation of all emotions, including traditionally "negative" ones like anger or sorrow, as natural and necessary parts of the human experience that must be processed rather than suppressed.
• Importance of Boundaries: The emphasis on establishing clear emotional, mental, and physical boundaries with others to protect one's well-being and energy, defining where one person's responsibilities end and another's begin.
• Self-Compassion over Self-Criticism: The advocacy for replacing the harsh internal critic with a voice of kindness, understanding, and empathy, treating oneself with the same care and patience offered to a loved one.
• Journey Back to Authenticity: The overarching goal of the book, guiding readers away from a performed identity (developed to seek external approval) and toward an authentic self, embracing one's whole being, including all perceived imperfections.