Self love is something we hear quite frequently nowadays, but what does it really mean? For many people it brings up childhood memories of being told that we were either conceited or selfish. Unfortunately, although invisibly in the moment, these feelings given to us at that time were incorrect, and just served to decrease our self-esteem whilst we were growing up.
What does Self-Love mean?
Self-love really means acceptance of our self for who we are at this time. Not for who we had been previously or that we might become in the future, but for who we are at this time. That includes accepting our light side and our shadow side also. Once we start to provide ourselves self indulgent, it can open up numerous new possibilities in our lives by bringing with it new found confidence and self-esteem. Many perceived deficiencies in life can result from a lack of self love. Although you may say you need a new job, car, home or to obtain a perfect partner, if you don’t really believe you deserve these items, it’ll be tough for you to manifest them into your life. Until you love yourself, you are probably not likely to feel that you deserve such great things. Love of itself brings with it a sense of fulfilment and achievement. Material possessions can only offer us comfort , but if you give yourself love, you give yourself a profound feeling of contentment that then flows into every other part of your life. You’ll discover your relationships with friends, families and spouses will flourish, your job will be more enjoyable and you’ll start to flow more readily with life. We’ve all heard of the expression that you can not look after anybody else before you care for yourself, and this relates to self love. Loving yourself means taking good care of yourself and treating yourself with kindness and respect. This includes what you say to yourself, what you feed yourself and everything you treat yourself to. We wouldn’t dare talk to our friends or spouses in precisely the identical way as we talk to ourselves sometimes, and yet we appear to think it is okay to treat ourselves this way. If you always keep giving to others without giving yourself, you will not just start to resent the people in your life that seem to take up all your time, however you’ll eventually run out of steam and will not be able to do anything for anybody.
What can you do?
Taking good care of yourself and giving yourself permission to enjoy a few luxuries in life is among the first steps in enjoying yourself. Set aside a day and dedicate it only to you. Book a massage or a recovery, make yourself a healthy stir-fry for dinner or lunch, catch your favorite book, fill your tub with crystals and essential oils and allow yourself to completely relax and revel in your personal time and company. We often say that we would really like to do those things for ourselves but we have not got the time. How long do we wind up spending studying and re-sending emails, on Facebook and Twitter or watching TV? In essence, all of us have tons of time, it is just that we do not allow ourselves the opportunity to do these things for ourselves. Prioritise your day to be certain that you get done all that’s essential, and then make an appointment in your diary for your private time. Try to do this as frequently as you can. Once a week would be fantastic, but in the event you think that in the moment you can just do it once a month, then start with that, but have the intention it will shortly be a month, then 3 times per month until you are up to each week.
Last advice
The better you look after yourself, the better you can look after your nearest and dearest. So always bear in mind that when you’re treating yourself, you’re also improving the lives of the people surrounding you.