Hello friends! What is self-love? What does it mean to love yourself? Well, self-love has nothing to do with being selfish. As you live and experience life and other people, you will realize that self-love is vital to your existence. As a matter of fact, if you do not love yourself, How can you love anyone else? You must love yourself first because you cannot give what you do not have. Even scripture tells us to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Therefore, you can only love others as much as you love yourself.
Sometimes we can determine self-love based on the way we are treated by others. We often deceive ourselves in this way thinking that if someone doesn’t treat us well then we are not worthy of love. This is a wrong perspective. Self-love comes from within, not without. Self-love is not determined by things or people, nor the bad or good things that happen in our lives. Self-love is a state of mind, a disposition that we carry about ourselves. We take responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and actions. People who do not love themselves will only give a watered-down version of what they think love is. How they relate to themselves emotionally based on their physical and how they handle things spiritually. Our mental development and state of heart can foster unloving behaviors. Also, you do not always get love because you give it, but it can leave you feeling broken when it is not reciprocated. This is the reason why you must love yourself. It keeps you stable regardless.
Friends, what you feel and think about yourself does not just affect you, but others as well. The way you treat yourself gives others boundaries on how they can treat you. The giving of the love in you is life-changing and the highest form of good living. Owe no man nothing but love. Treat yourself lovingly and respectfully. Healthy thoughts and actions towards yourself will help you remain whole and also help you to treat others in the same way. Pure love. When you know who you are and accept yourself (your personality, your physical appearance, and your character even with its flaws) for the gift that you are, you will excel above mediocrity. When you come to the realization that the One who created you is the same One who created the entire universe you will put more respect in yourself, and you will be more settled and accepting, and confident in what love is in general.
Your emotional, physical, and spiritual state are of high importance. Self-love helps you pay attention to the things you need to do to function at your optimum. Taking care of your physical body and treating it as your sacred temple, which it is. No self-abuse, self-care. Taking care of your mind, removing yourself from toxic environments, situations, and people. You will demand peace without because peace is within you. Self-love is a remedy for many social ills. A self-loved person can help to make the world a more peaceful and loving place to live in.
So I encourage you to look deep within yourself. Be sure that you love yourself. Do special things that make you happy and do not shortchange your needs. It’s okay to pamper yourself just as you would pamper someone else. Buy things for yourself just as you would for someone you appreciate. You are worthy too. Love yourself because you deserve to be loved. Love yourself because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Love yourself because God loves you. Recognize His deep love for you. Then you will be able to not just love yourself but love others too.
Peace and Love.
