A Note on Self-Love
Many people lack self-worth, that’s without touching on the possibility of self-love.
How do you think things might be different if you felt that you are worthy, just as you are, just for existing.
Self-love is a super-power. It is not about being selfish, but about respecting and accepting your own needs, desires, wants and having positvie regard to your whole Self, exactly as you are right now, without some caviet for change.
Some believe that self-love is selfish. This is not the case. Some people can be selfish, this is true, but that is not self-love.
Arguing that self-love is selfish can often be a way to support some kind of self-sacrificing behavoiur or a way to ignore unconfortable feelings about the Self. Self-sacrifice feels good to some, like they are doing the best thing for someone else. I am not saying these people don’t help others, but is it about the other? At one level, yes, but these sacrifial actions may also be about getting an underlying need met for themselves; “Now I am worthy because I’ve done this…” Yet, what they are actually telling themselves is that they don’t matter. That they can give and give until there is nothing left. Then of course, they would be unable to help anyone, including themselves.
When you love yourself you can give more fully and richy to others and overflow with love.
So where to start?
Start with compassion; compassion to yourself and others.
Compassion is the ability to have concern for, and sympathy for the suffering or misfortune of another, with a desire to end the suffering.
You can be compassionate to yourself without loving yourself, but it means you would develop, in time, a way of being considerate, accepting and kind to yourself.
As you practice compassion you may find, over time, the magic in loving yourself.
I invite you to do something for yourself with loving intent today. This could be as simple as consciously making a cup of tea for yourself or having a bath.
See how it feels after you’ve done something for yourself.
