Tell everyone you know: “My happiness depends on me, so you’re off the hook.” And then demonstrate it. Be happy, no matter what they’re doing. Practice feeling good, no matter what. And before you know it, you will not give anyone else responsibility for the way you feel—and then, you’ll love them all. Because the only reason you don’t love them, is because you’re using them as your excuse to not feel good.
A majority of the people alive today did not receive what was needed when they were growing up to help them develop an appreciative attitude in their adult years. Appreciation brings to you your desires quickly and easily. Because our caretakers lived what they had been taught they passed on to us the limitations handed down to them. This has been going on from generation to generation. These limitations caused us to develop belief systems centered around ideas that we are not worthy of love, abundance, peace, happiness, joy, prosperity, loving relationships, meaningful work or whatever else seems to negatively dominate your life.
Learning to love yourself is the basis for accepting anything good in your life. You can say all the affirmations you want, do the dances, and work through any of your blocks, but if you don’t love yourself FIRST and foremost, the work you are doing will fall on sallow ground.
Nothing in your world will work easily or to your ultimate satisfaction until you love yourself first. Loving yourself first leads to happiness-not a selfish self -serving happiness but an, “”can do anything” way of being. These five tips will start you down the path to loving yourself first.
1. Recognize that loving yourself first is not selfish. It is mandatory. You cannot give what you do not have, right? You cannot love another until you know what love is. You only know what love is when you live it. Can you look at love in a new light, instead of using love as a “verb” or a thing you do, can you look at love as a Noun and just “be love”? Love will raidiate from you and others with a kind loving heart will be drawn to you..
2. To really love yourself first you must know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is okay and acceptable to love yourself at all-never mind loving yourself first. People (especially women) are often socialized to put themselves last, to disregard their own needs. No wonder women suffer with so much stress. You can only give so much before you burn out. You are not here in this lifetime to serve everyone else and let them ignore you as a person with needs of your own.
3. You do not need to put aside your own belief and blindly accept what others tell you. You get to think for yourself. Regardless of the situation or topic of discussion, you say what you think. Your opinion matters. Do not allow anyone else to put ideas into your head until you examine those ideas and decide if they will work for you. Everyone holds their own opinion about everything. Yours is just as valid as what others think.
4. Realize that you run your head. You create your reality with your thoughts, See yourself doing what you love to do-and actually do those activities. Make the time and effort to do what you love and actually do it. Do something for you every day. The dishes can wait. So can the untidy house. If those matter to someone in your household then let them know they are free to clean and tidy up as they please.
5. You are in charge of your self image. You can change the parts of you that you do not like. Once you change your self image, then you can change your self esteem and raise your self confidence too.
Loving yourself first is easy when you remind yourself of that truth and take action steps that prove it every day.
Learning to love you is the most important piece of an inner work and is the starting point for everything else. Once you love yourself, you learn to be gentle with yourself and understand that you are perfect in the eyes of the Universe just as you are which in turn, paradoxically, allows you to grow and receive more love and abundance and prosperity.
If you find yourself looking outside your heart to find love, acceptance and peace. Try turning a different direction and look inside your heart and embrace YOU!!!
Great post I am going to be working on this more and trying hard to love myself and just BE LOVE so I can hopefully one day prevent my daughter from thinking she needs a partner to fullfill her when all she really needs is to fullfill herself first and everything else you get is a plus.
Being love is a beautiful thing, it alleviates the seperateness of people. Its such a beautiful thing.