“Do you love yourself?”
When I first encountered this question many years ago,
It caught me off guard,
leaving me speechless.
My words were tangled.
Unable to find their way out,
as if they were lost in a fog of confusion and surprise.
Does this feel familiar to you?
You see,
Throughout life,
we juggle multiple relationships.
Often with family,
friends, co-workers and romantic partners.
One relationship we may neglect, however,
is the one with ourselves.
Agreed?
But it’s not your fault.
From an early age,
we’re conditioned to believe that self-love is taboo.
Putting our needs first is often seen as being selfish.
But here’s the truth,
It’s not about being selfish.
It’s about self-preservation.
Loving ourselves is actually the first step in being able to truly love others.
After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Self-love isn’t bad or negative.
It helps you create healthy boundaries for yourself.
Self-love raises your vibration.
It helps you heal your energy.
Many individuals are unaware of the connection between the law of attraction and self-love.
Knowing that everything in this universe is made up of energy and vibration,
isn’t it reasonable that you would flow pure energy through love?
When you’re happy with yourself, you’re happy with everything else.
Everything reflects your beliefs, perceptions, and vibrations.
To love oneself first is not selfish.
It is vital,
and we are not talking about pride or bragging about how great you are!
We’re talking about self-acceptance and self-respect on a fundamental human level.
Self-esteem, self-worth,
and compassion are all derived from loving oneself.
The worse part…
Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have made it more difficult
for us to validate our own worth without the help of others.
Sometimes,
we can’t help but feel miserable because we continuously compare our lives to those of others
or attach our value to their views.
The solution here is to develop such a strong feeling of self-worth that nothing anybody says
or does will be able to shake it.
The starting point for all miracles is self-love!.
6 Transformative Tips to Cultivate Self-Love
1. Celebrate Your Good
Write down three good things about yourself every day.
Any accomplishments you have made in life,
as well as friendships and physical/character features you appreciate in yourself,
are examples of accomplishments too.
This helps because it teaches you to focus on the good aspects of your life rather than the bad ones.
Think about how much better you’d feel if you praised yourself instead of criticizing it.
2. Break the Routine
Go to the movies or a new restaurant on your own instead of waiting for someone to go with you
or for the occasion to present itself.
When you can overcome fears about doing these activities alone,
you increase your connection to your genuine self.
You find the part of yourself that unconditionally loves you.
3. Take a Trip
This is my favorite self-love practice.
Nurture self-love and self-awareness by embarking on a solo vacation.
It’s even better if you also experience a new culture
or unfamiliar area since you will be forced to confront any prejudices you may have about people and yourself.
When you have the courage and confidence to plunge into the unknown,
you will learn a great deal about yourself.
4. Journal Your Journey
Writing is a proven therapeutic means of releasing stress and negativity.
Journaling is a wonderful way to review your thoughts and feelings about yourself and your life.
It’s also possible to look back and see how you overcame obstacles and learned from your mistakes.
5. Try Mirror Work
This may feel awkward at first.
But trust me…
this is a very powerful practice.
Start each day by telling yourself,
“I love you and I want to be your friend”.
Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself this every morning.
Say what makes you feel better about yourself.
If you stick with it,
your self-esteem and self-confidence will rise.
Love yourself a little more each day,
and who knows…
maybe the Universe is listening.
Through your journey with self-love,
you find yourself manifesting greater things.
6. Nurture Your Body
Embrace movement, ensure rest, and eat nutritiously.
Show your body love.
It’s the only one you have.
Your Next Step?
Why not start right now?
Pick one self-love practice from this guide and give it a try.
Which one would you pick? Share in the comment section below.
