I had this subscription that sends in beautiful things that one needs to know. Not all posts are useful for all, but I find that loving yourself would always prove to be the perfect liberation, so I'm sharing these with you.
“There is nothing but love, and all else is illusion.”
- Dr. John Demartini
There are many expectations that we look for in other people, but we seldom look to ourselves and see if we can also satisfy the same standards. Often times, we love only ourselves within the concept of what's beautiful and beneficial--the other ugly qualities, we disregard and do away with.
This concept of love expounds on embracing yourself completely. The partial love of self is usually what fuels hate and anger and other unbalanced consumption of energy. Often, we pick on other people because they actually pull on a string within us that ignite conflict to our inner selves. When we love ourselves fully, we forget about hate and anger. We learn to be at peace, and we achieve liberation.
Self love is not the same as selfishness. Its true you can't love others if you don't love yourself. We should always listen to ourselves. When we are happy and liberated, we emit a higher form of energy that attracts positivity and good vibes. This in turn helps other people move towards a better disposition. You become a beacon of peace, happiness and love. Others will then follow your example.
Limiting beliefs could also hinder self love. True that we are born into a life with a set of cultural beliefs, but we should always try to find the place where our heart feels most comfortable in. You've seen and read those people who were born in a different religion then went to have a convert? Or those who were born in the alps but felt lighter to their skin in grassy lands? Freeing yourself from your beliefs and home-brewed setup could benefit your self love.
I believe that depression usually arises from the fact that the inner self is wanting to be free from something that isn't physically possible at that moment, or is physically/mentallly/emotionally limiting the self. We can even stop depression by exercising self love!
Hence, we must always satisfy what makes our inner selves happy. How? Here are some of the suggestions I read here:
- Cleaning your home, organising papers and accounts, eating healthy food, paying bills, clearing debts, etc.
- Ending sabotaging patterns, habits or addictions.
- Seeking the help, healing and support that will help you make the transition to a brighter future.
- Setting new inspiring and enlivening goals, raising your standards and reaching for more.
- No longer sacrificing to please others.
- Being honest and intimate with yourself and others.
- No longer settling for less and setting respecting boundaries.
- Living somewhere that you truly love, or transforming, decorating or renovating your existing home to surround yourself with an environment that is beautiful, meaningful and heart-warming.
- Nourishing and caring for your body, such as eating healthy food and exercising regularly. You might join a gym, get a personal trainer, or begin fun healthy activities like salsa, yoga, or a new sport or activity like hiking or running.
- Doing 'nothing' and spending time relaxing, reflecting, de-stressing or simply ‘being’.
- Treating yourself to the pleasures of massage, a facial, pedicure, beauty treatments or a new hair-do.
- Buying new clothes that reflect your truer self.
- Taking up or renewing a creative hobby or passion, be that singing, writing, walking, painting, sailing, or photography, for example.
- Listening to and honouring your feelings.
- Going on weekends away, short breaks and holidays to inject greater fun, happiness and adventure into your life.
- Being in touch with friends and loved ones, and expressing the love you have for them, which will be nourishing not just to them, but to you as well.
- Speaking kindly to yourself, seeing your value and goodness, affirming your positives and being grateful to yourself.
- Having a night out on the town: going out for a fabulous dinner, dancing, to the movies or theatre, whether alone, with a friend a friend, or romantic partner.
- Meditating.
- Being true to yourself, upholding principles and standing your ground if required.
- If you tend to save or hoard money, it could be having a care-free ‘splurge’.
- Treating yourself does not need to be a great expense, however, and can be having breakfast in the garden on a sunny morning, taking a walk in the afternoon, having a bubble bath, a candlelight dinner in, going for a swim or watching the sunset.
- Spending time in nature to bask in its beauty and grace. We all have favourite nature spots. For some it is the ocean side, for others the beauty of a spring meadow, for some it is to walk down country lanes, or enter a forest or grove. Perhaps you love riversides or waterfalls, or wide vistas and open landscapes with far reaching views, or hill tops and mountains.
- Appreciating yourself for all your gifts, qualities, strengths and achievements, and having compassion and love for any perceived 'ugly sides', weaknesses, stresses, trials and tribulations.
- Forgiving yourself for all 'mistakes' the lost or wounded you may have made, and letting go of negative self-concepts and beliefs.