Your happiness and inner peace is unquestionably affected by
the degree to which you love yourself. Self-love is a state of a mind, a belief
system and a daily reminder that you are the single most important person in
the world. Self-love is about putting your needs, priorities and values before
anything else. You may be thinking, but isn’t this mentality egotistical and narcissistic?
Well I beg to differ. This mindset is not egotistical, because if you develop
and create the capacity to unconditionally love and respect yourself at all times,
you will end up positively affecting your colleagues, friends and family. Once
you start to love yourself, your perception opens up and you will begin to
realise just how many people around you neglect their self-love and even harm themselves.
You will begin to see others around you who blame themselves, hold feelings of
guilt and talk down on themselves. This form of neglect can also be understood through
maladaptive behaviours such as; smoking, over-eating, drinking excessively and using
harmful substances. When we neglect self-love, our vibrational level of
positive energy will inevitably lower.
If you don’t feel like you love and respect yourself, I ask
you to consider whether you feel in full control of your life. Are other people
emotionally manipulating you? Are you not ‘where you want to be’ at this point
in your life? Do you ever feel like the universe is conspiring against you?
Generally, the reason we don’t love ourselves is because we lack
hope, gratitude and optimism. If
you don’t have an optimistic vision of the future, that is usually because you
haven’t set yourself goals to achieve and dreams to become reality. When we
work towards our ambitions and dreams, in the process we develop self-love along the way. Think back to a
time when you were most happy; Was it when you were writing that book? Pushing yourself
through the pain barrier whilst running? Taking the time out to paint or draw?
Spending time with friends? Or studying for that exam? (Ok, maybe not so much
that one..) When we engage in activities where we enter a state of flow, time dissolves,
we become immersed in the present moment, we are also developing self-love and
self-respect. We are at our best when we are creative, action-oriented and free
of restrictions. It is vital we all take time out each day to do the things
that make us happy, even if it means taking just 10 minutes out to escape from
your busy schedule. You may or may not know your life purpose, but if you fail
to address your inner creative spirit you will definitely not achieve your potential.
Self-love begins at home, creating a living atmosphere that
is conducive to positivity and hope. Whether that is having a space to do the
things you love, hanging up inspiring artwork and pictures, going on walks in
nature, watching the sunset or even just spending more time with your loved
ones. Self-love is about talking positively to yourself and to others and being
grateful for every nuance life has to offer (big and small). Self-love is about
providing yourself the deserved chance to better yourself each day and to enjoy
the flow of whatever you choose to do.
Therefore, it is just as much about our actions as it is our
thoughts which will determine the degree to which we will self-actualise in this
lifetime. You can’t help others if you’re not helping yourself first. Be
selfish, go out for that run, apply for that course you’ve always wanted to do
or even just carry out a random act of kindness today. Make the most of the
wonderful opportunities we have in this modern era and truly be the best you
can be. Love yourself unconditionally and watch the world present its
mysterious and beautiful nature in full viewing.
