To love the self is to love a sovereign being. A branch of love is acceptance, for self total acceptance is needed. The same way we love others flaws and imperfections, the same way we totally accept someone else as they come is the same energy required towards the self.
Ask yourself “What parts of ME that have not known love require attention?” You cannot receive the love others give, until you give that love to the self. Often, we feel fragmented and disjointed as there are parts of ourselves which we don’t accept, to show love is to unify the fragments and to show compassion is to evolve. Love is an energy that continues to grow the more you give to it. Showing love to yourself also means to authentically honour whatever you are feeling whether they be high or low emotions.
To show love to the self is to be compassionate to the self. Life can be beautiful, and life can be tough. Especially when times are hard, be a friend to yourself. If a friend were to approach you experiencing a trouble you may be enduring, how would you speak to them? What would you say to them?
It is important to recognise when we are harsh or showcasing behaviour or habits that are not compassionate to ourselves. Being extremely critical breeds energy that is draining and leads to no solution out of any mess, rather making a situation worse than it may already be. The critical voice is often an echo of how someone else spoke to us, thus we adopt it now as our own. This is learnt behaviour and the best way to unlearn is to learn newer ways. Raise the volume of love, gratitude, and compassion towards the self-practice through all the moments. This doesn’t mean the feelings will go away but how we manage them can make them easier to endure.
There are different ways of showing love to the self, for everyone it is different. Love is not a solution to an issue, but a way of being. You have the power and responsibility as a sovereign being. How do you choose to show love to yourself?
Affirmations
- Practice positive affirmations daily and praise yourself.
- Why not write a love letter to yourself?
- Write a description of your character celebrating your strengths.
Acts of service
- Enjoy an evening to yourself by cooking your favourite meal.
- Groom yourself with love and compassion by wearing your best clothes and accessories.
- Clean and organise your personal space to make it appealing and aesthetically pleasing to yourself.
Receiving gifts
- Buy yourself something that you love.
- Treat yourself to an experience.
- Invest in yourself and your future.
Quality time
- Practice mindfulness through meditation, walking, or deep breathing.
- Start a hobby of interest.
- Sit down and watch a film of your own choice.
Physical touch
- Roll out your mat and stretch your body through different styles of yoga poses.
- Moisturise your skin with lotions and oils that smell nice, making you feel good and show gratitude and love towards each body part.
- Why not enjoy a lovely hot bath relaxing your body?
To show love is to accept where you are currently and to show compassion is to nurture in order to grow.
Created by Bilal Razwan