6 Ways to Start Loving Yourself Today

Through my personal journey of self-discovery, I’ve come to understand that self-love is the first and most fundamental element in any personal development. Truly understanding and accepting yourself from within is the only key to any personal breakthroughs. When I first started with self-development, I was so excited with all the motivational TED talks, law of attraction videos and inspirational blog posts that I can get my hands on. I’m not saying that these things are not good, because they are, in fact, they are great and I love them. However, if you are suffering from low self-esteem, self-doubt or low self-worth, you need work on yourself first, if not, you will drown in all of these information.

You might ask, how do I work on myself? Where should I start? I am going to share 6 ways you can start loving yourself for who you are today.

1. Be kind to yourself.

Know that you are your best asset, so treat yourself right. I’m definitely guilty of being too harsh on myself sometimes. However, I’ve learnt that forgiving myself and others is the best thing that I can do for myself. I used to beat myself up for things I’ve done in the past, wishing that I can undo or unsay certain things. I used to immerse myself in these feelings of guilt and regret, therefore I constantly felt miserable. When I decided to forgive myself, that’s when I started to enjoy my life again. If you hold on to the past, the past will haunt you and you will never be able to move forward. Do yourself a favor, let yourself go, because your future is glorious!

I’ve heard this saying, not forgiving others is like holding on to a piece of broken glass and expecting others to get hurt. Stop hurting yourself, choose to forgive.

2. Be grateful.

Practice gratitude in your life. Be grateful for the little things around you, the roof over your head, the food on your plate and the air that you breathe. Be grateful even when circumstances are difficult. Moving your focus away from the problem will change your perspective. You will see from a different light, you will see things that you’ve never noticed before, you might even find the solution that you’ve been looking for all along. The more you appreciate the things around you, the more blessings will flow in. That’s just the law of the universe.

Every night before bed, I have this little routine which I list out 3 things that I am grateful for. You can choose to write it down or you can run it through your head. Just take a moment to appreciate the things in your life.

3. Spend time with yourself

Take the time out of your day and spend it on you. Remember that you are the most important person in your life, so spend quality time with yourself. It is equally as important to spend quality time with your loved ones, and to spend time with your inner self or higher self, however you want to call it. Every person needs to connect within themselves, I believe this is how one find their true purpose in life.

Oprah once said, “If you do not know your purpose, your immediate goal is to figure that out.” Why is finding your life purpose so important? To me, it’s the key to a fulfilling life, it is the key to unlock your highest potential.

I like to spend my “me time” on meditation and journaling. I typically spend at least half an hour daily on that. The type of journaling I like to do is called future journaling or scripting. It is a process where you write down your goals or visions as if it is already happening, sort of like a journal entry for your goals.

4. Believe in yourself.

There are a lot of internal work to be done when it comes to believing in yourself fully. Believing that your are worth it, that you deserve the good things in life, believing that you can do it, that you are enough as you are. It is so difficult because the system of our world and our past experiences tell us otherwise. We have to work through those blockages that keep us from believing in ourselves. It might be easy to change our conscious thought, but that thought which is running in the back of your head, that voice that whispers in your ear, that is what you truly want to change, because that thought is like a song that plays on loop in your head, tapping into your subconscious mind. If you don’t change it, you actions are going to reflect that thought and your life is going to act out a certain way. You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe.

This is when positive affirmations come in for me. Feeding your mind with positive brain food, telling yourself positive things, filling yourself with good vibes and changing that song that plays in you mind.

5. Be at peace with yourself.

Understanding yourself from within and accepting who you truly are is so important in the journey of self-development. When you truly accept yourself for who you are, that’s when you can genuinely love yourself. You need to be in complete harmony with yourself to experience true self-love.

I have this mantra that I really like. When I am feeling doubtful, I like to write it down or repeat it in my head. I find that it immediately boosts my spirit and makes me feel that much better.

“I accept myself and create peace in my mind and heart. I am loved and I am safe. I now choose to free myself of all destructive fears and doubts.”

6. Take good care of yourself.

I’ve mentioned so many times that you are the most important person in your life, because you are. Make sure that you treat yourself right. Know that you are worth it, that you are perfect the way you are. Focus on youself, because you are the only thing that you truly have. Invest in yourself, love yourself, giving yourself theTLC that you deserve.

Do not feel guilty about loving yourself more than others. It is when you are complete and fulfilled, you are able to help others. So, let us give ourselves some love today and start embracing self-love.