How many times have you heard or been told to learn to love yourself?
A life cannot be fulfilled without love and there is no love stronger than the love you have for yourself.
Don’t get me wrong, the compassion and affection from your partner are fulfilling but the love you have for yourself is so powerful and the key to a happy life.
Afterall how can you provide happiness for another, if you are not happy within yourself?
But how exactly do you learn to love yourself?
Do you check yourself out in every reflection and compliment your appearance?
Do you treat yourself like royalty and better than anyone else?
Do you talk about yourself any chance you get?
Not at all.
Loving yourself comes from within ..it means to have self-respect, dignity, a positive-image, and unconditional self-acceptance.
I found that when I decided to make a commitment into loving and accepting myself it increased the quality of my relationships, work, body, mind, and soul.
It took a lot of time for me and with suffering from anxiety sometimes mind over matter is harder than it seems but with the support of my better half, family, and friends I have successfully been able to find myself and truly learn to love myself.
A few things I find important on the road to loving yourself are:
- STOP comparing yourself to others !! – This is something we all do, every single day, including myself. I can only catch myself when I am doing so and remind myself we all have different journeys, life is not a race, there is no competition. I am unique and special in my own way and as are you!
- STOP caring about your looks! – We have been brought up in an age where alterations are everywhere making us believe our bodies should be a certain way.Each person has a different structure and frame and we always want what we don’t have. Instead, flaunt what you do have, be proud of your body.Outer beauty doesn’t justify the inner beauty or the quality of a human being.
- Live HEALTHY – take care of your body, exercise for the mind and soul, It’s not necessary for how you look, but more so how you feel.Live Sunday hangover-free, sit in the sun reading your favorite book, drink a green smoothie, Eat less sugar and more fruit and veggies!
- Have Dedicated ME time -Go for a walk with some headphones in, watch your favorite show, have a relaxing bubble bath, spend some good quality me time a few hours a week to connect with your inner self and recharge and reset.
- Care About your APPEARANCE– After appreciating your body you now must appreciate your appearance not in a vain way but through pride in who you are.Feel good about yourself when you leave the house.
- SMILE – The more you smile the happier you feel, and the happier others around you are, trust me!
- UNDERSTAND – you will not please everyone, not everyone will like you and that’s perfectly ok. you don’t need to please anyone but yourself.
- Be THANKFUL AND LOVE– Every morning you wake up to say these 6 things to yourself before you start your day !
I am not perfect, but I have definitely felt and seen an improvement in myself over the months I decided to make this commitment, my depression and anxiety have minimized and my life has been more fulfilled than ever.
I truly believe the key to happiness starts with loving yourself.
XOXO CB
Chelsie Breanne 