If you don’t love yourself do you really think you can love others?

“Love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:39.

This is a deeply powerful message that would drastically change the world for the better if everyone truly loved themselves. For if you genuinely love yourself, when loving your “neighbor” you would demonstrate it through acts of kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, etc… The word neighbor is in quotes because neighbor could mean anyone other than yourself (family, friends, colleagues, strangers…).

What does it mean to genuinely love oneself? It starts with self-awareness, with truly knowing who you are, your strengths and weaknesses, your qualities and flaws, your likes and dislikes, your errors, your emotional wounds, your beliefs, your values, your dreams, etc… After becoming self-aware, you must get on the path of self-acceptance. You must accept all of that you discover about yourself, regardless of whether you like what you discover or not. You accept yourself, fully.

Self-acceptance does not mean that you resign yourself to what you discover. If you desire to change or improve something about yourself you can. Of course, there are certain aspects of ourselves that we cannot change, such as our past. However, you can work on becoming a better version of yourself that is aligned with your soul and the future you visualize for yourself.

Self-acceptance could be hard but don’t give up. With time and consistent work from your part, you will reach the goal to accept all facets of yourself. If you need help with this, send me a message by clicking here and we could work together to get you to embrace all of yourself. It is only by truly accepting yourself that you can begin the process of loving yourself. Self-acceptance lays the foundations for self-love and positive self-esteem.

Love yourself first so you can love others better. It all starts with you. Your relationship with others is a reflection of your relationship with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Listen to your needs and satisfy them as much as you can. Be patient with yourself (especially, when learning or healing). Ensure your self-talk is positive and encouraging because what you say to yourself matters. Forgive yourself. Take care of your body, mind, and soul. Invest in yourself. Make time for self-care. Set boundaries and enforce them. Eliminate anyone or anything that is toxic, destructive and killing your positive vibe. Remind yourself that you are worthy of love. Focus on what you like about yourself while working on yourself, for you. Do more of what you love and sets your soul on fire. Stop saying yes to things you hate.