Who has not experienced life being dependent on others? We have even prioritized another person's well-being above our own since we are surrounded by jobs, family life, society, and friendship, which causes us to neglect ourselves. We don't foster that love; we give it to others before ourselves. We must prioritize and value self-love, which is one of the foundations for happiness; this path will lead us to a complete and satisfying life, where self-discovery and personal growth will lead us to greater happiness and fulfillment. Which is what we always seek and desire; self-love is required to achieve those above.
Life has taught you since childhood to love others, but were you ever taught to love yourself? Were you told to prioritize yourself, that your feelings and well-being are essential, and that your love comes first?
We can not see self-love as selfish or narcissistic, depending on the extreme. Still, I know that many people always give their love more than even themselves, making a big mistake, as this would affect their emotional well-being; putting other people before you is giving priority to other people's feelings before your own. This does not make us forget to pamper ourselves; it gives us priority and gives it to our loved ones. We are also valuable; our voices count, and our feelings should be worthwhile. This can help you reach a moment when you feel sad, unvalued, and have lousy self-esteem.
When we start loving ourselves, this implies accepting ourselves as we are, with our experiences, past, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. We learn to establish healthy limits and say "NO." Sometimes, even if we do not want to say yes, just for fear of feelings, we must say "Yes." However, it is different from our desire to do so. We prioritize other people, carry a burden that is not ours, and leave aside our welfare. That is why it is crucial to love ourselves.
Self-acceptance: First, to start this beautiful journey, we must accept ourselves, where we begin to value each of our virtues, flaws, imperfections, weaknesses, and values, where we compare ourselves with others. What you do is disappoint yourself; you must learn to love yourself from what is inside you to the outside of your body to accept it.
Healthy limits: In life, we must establish limits so that some moments do not harm us. Learn to say no when your feeling is not to accept it. Please do not do it out of obligation, not to fall foul for others, or to prioritize the feelings of others before yours.
Practice self-compassion:
- Love yourself.
- Be kind to yourself.
- Do not demand you.
- Be with yourself as you are as the person you love the most.
- Treat yourself as you treat your friends.
- Learn to value yourself.
Take care of your body: You must treat your body as a temple, something sacred to you. You must love and respect it as you are. Because if you do not love and accept yourself, you are despising what you have day by day, which is your body. Look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate every aspect of your physique. You will not be satisfied if you do not love and accept yourself.
Nourish your mind: Your best asset is you. To keep your mind active, spend time in activities that stimulate and promote happiness, do something you are passionate about, and read, write, or even do new activities daily.
Identify your passions: Sometimes, we need to remember our passions at work or with family. We do it aside without giving them the slightest importance; there may come a time in life that asks you what you did for yourself. This moment will be sad for you. Many justify it by the love and affection they give others, but there will always be a void where you forget yourself; that is not happiness.
Set goals and objectives in your life: We often forget this point. Our goals and objectives help to fulfill the dreams of others while ours are left behind. That is why you must set goals and objectives. This will lead you to happiness.
We must understand that this path that we initiate of our love towards ourselves is not easy. Sometimes, we confront even our emotions of feeling selfish, or that other person tells us, but you must think, who gives priority to you? It must start with you first; without seeing yourself as a selfish person, you must love yourself and give yourself priority to find a path of happiness and emotional well-being.
In summary, self-love equals happiness and personal fulfillment since we prioritize our love, feelings, passions, goals, and objectives. In turn, we strengthen internally and cultivate greater self-esteem since we will learn to accept ourselves, allowing opportunities and experiences in life different from the one we have now lived. By prioritizing ourselves, we are loving ourselves differently. This also contributes to a more balanced and compassionate world because, as the saying goes, if a person does not love himself, he does not love others.
But always remember that when you start this, do not see it as selfishness; it is loving and respecting you first, where you can feel a whole life and happiness with emotional well-being.
Make self-love your priority and start your path to happiness today!
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