Do you want to be happier, more self-assured, and maintain positive relationships with others?
If so, this journey of self-love is what you must set out on in order to obtain all of these.
You must know, accept, and love yourself for who you are if you want to genuinely live. In this piece, I’ll take you on a journey that contains pit stops but only has one final destination—loving yourself. Sounds intriguing, right?
Alright! Let’s get started right away!
Jump Links
- Self-discovery
- Deep self-awareness questions you should ask yourself
- Self-want/acceptance
- Self-love
- Tips for practicing self-love
- Bottom Line
SELF-DISCOVERY (Know who you are)
This involves exploration through your inner self. Knowing who you are and what you want to become indicates that you have genuinely discovered yourself. After all, you can’t love someone you don’t know.
These are some deep self -awareness questions you should ask yourself;
- What purpose does your existence serve?
- Are you living or just surviving life?
- What makes you happy/sad?
- Do you like who you are?
- Would you be friends with you?
- Are you happy?
- If you lost your memories, would you still be the same person?
- If you could achieve one thing in this life, what would it be?
- What are your interests in life?
Nonetheless, this procedure sometimes feels like a personal revolution. By pushing and questioning your subconscious mind, you are going to alter long-held ideas. Do you have answers to the the above questions? If so, let’s proceed to the next phase!
SELF-WANT (acceptance)
Moving forward….
Do you accept yourself for who you are now that you have a better understanding of your identity, your hobbies, your ambitions, your limitations, your strengths, and your flaws? Yes, I am aware that it is far simpler to desire and like someone else than oneself.
We live in a world of prejudice and criticism, a world where it is so hard to ever truly feel accepted. Why then try to make people accept you when you don’t even want yourself?
Well, let’s get to the unpleasant truth. You won’t be liked by everybody, and not everyone will accept you for who you are. But guess what? It’s absolutely OK. It is.
Stop wasting your time and energy trying so hard to hide your flaws, using shields of deceit to cover your imperfections. The only validation you need is from yourself.
You must want and accept who you are as you embark on this path. The flaws and imperfections are what makes you, you(unique).
SELF-LOVE
Finally!
I bet you’ve been waiting for this.
After a brief journey of self-discovery and acceptance, we have arrived at our destination.
Now that you are aware and have come to terms with who you are, what’s left is to love yourself passionately, like you’d love someone else that you care about.
Love for oneself is self-care. Self-love entails being concerned for your own pleasure, attending to your needs, and not letting other people’s perceptions of you to decide your value.
Here are some pointers for developing self love;
- Forgive yourself
- Let go of toxic people and relationships
- Practice good self-care
- Stop comparing yourself with others
- Prioritize yourself
- Find your happy place
- Become mindful
- Stop trying to be perfect
- Live!
BOTTOM LINE
I know it seems difficult at first, but once you decide to start along this path, everything else becomes much simpler. One thing is certain: once you emerge from the darkness of self-loathing, you won’t want to return.
Remember how far you’ve come even when you’re exhausted. Once you start loving yourself, you’ll be one step closer to being the finest version of yourself!