Is Self Love really Important?
Self love is a term that has been thrown around a lot lately. From social media to self-help books, everyone seems to be talking about it. It’s what I like to call a “buzz word”But what exactly is it and is it truly that important??, In short, the answer is yes. Self love is crucial to our overall well-being and success in life. In this blog post, we’ll explore why self love is so important. Ill touch briefly (as brief as possible y’all know I like to talk lol) and how you can also cultivate it in your own life.
What is Self Love?
Self love is the practice of nurturing and caring for yourself. It involves accepting yourself for who you are, flaws and all. Its about treating yourself with the same kindness and compassion that you would offer to a close friend or anyone you loved . It’s simply recognizing your worth and knowing that you deserve to be treated with respect and kindness not only by others but also yourself. Self love also involves setting boundaries, prioritizing your own needs, and making time for all the things you love.
Why is Self Love Important?
Self love is needed for countless reasons. Firstly, it improves our overall well-being. When we practice self love, we are more likely to take care of our physical and emotional health.We tend to naturally look after ourselves. We prioritize things like resting, exercise, healthy eating, and all things stress reduction, and these thing overtime help improve our well-being.
Self love also helps us build better relationships with others. When we love and accept ourselves, we are better able to show that same love and acceptance to others. We are also more likely to set necessary and healthy boundaries which in turn leads to communicate our needs assertively and effectively. This creates a great foundation to attract and maintain healthier more positive and fulfilling, equally yoked relationships.
Lastly, self love is crucial for success in all areas of life. Once you master the art of loving yourself.. you’re pretty much unstoppable! When we believe in ourselves and our abilities, we are more likely to take risks and pursue our goals with out fear, but in complete belief in ourself. We are less likely to hold ourselves back with self-doubt and fear.
My Journey to self love
My Journey to self love looked very similar to your favorite thrill ride. My all time thrill ride is the incredicoaster at Disney Land.. Y’all when I say THATS A THRILL RIDE!! Anyways, continuing on, you know how right before agreeing to actually getting on the ride you’re filled with sooo much excitement and enthusiasm? Only for you to get seated and buckled in and almost instantly regretting it.
The ride usually starts out pretty slow paced which usually spikes your anxiety because you’re never quite sure how or when the pace will pick up and more elements are added to your experience. Once the ride has taken off you find yourself screaming out of fear because you’re completely caught off guard by the initial big drop.. Then as time passes it registers in your mind that your okay..
Now that it has registered in your mind that your “safe” you now allow yourself to fully enjoy the ride. After the ride comes to an end you’re usually focused on how exciting everything was. Then you find yourself back at the start of everything.
This is the perfect way to describe my personal journey to loving myself. I was sooo excited to get started because I thought it was something so exciting. It was something that was trending… everyone was talking about it and implementing it into their daily life.
Little did I know that this journey was nothing short of easy. It wasn’t as glamours as people made it seem.. It could’ve been, but to truly see the effects and reap the benefits of self love. I had to do the inner work. So remember in the previous paragraph how I mentioned “almost instantly regretting” getting on that ride? Yeaaa… I regretted even starting my journey. I felt so vulnerable and triggered by the smallest things. I was so sure I had addressed everything within myself, but it was like the more I dug … the more things kept coming up…Yall I was tempted to just put the shoulve down because I WAS TIEEEDDD (“tied” is just a lazy way to say “tired” just incase you’re confused lol)
This journey had me trying new things. I started challenging myself and in the midst of that I noticed that I had to face my old self. I had to face the things I ran from for so long. I had to come to a place of complete honesty with myself…. No more being delusion. I had to get real. I wasnt happy I was miserable with life and all it had handed me up until that point.
After purging out everything that was hindering me from becoming my truest self. I noticed my guards coming down completely in the first time in years. I became sooo free.I began to smile a little harder. Laugh a little louder (which is crazy because im already loud.. it’s now giving megaphone) I finally started to “enjoy the ride”.
Now im at the place where im ready to help, share and encourage anyone that’s like me. You can be in the first steps of where you’re excited. You can be at the stage where you’re completely petrified of what’s to come…Orr you can be at the point where you’re enjoying your new found love for yourself. Wherever you may be in your journey it’s my mission to make sure that I provide you with perspective, nourishment, support and validation… a safe place. Everyones story will not be the same.. However, everyones story is worth them telling and someone else listening. So… there’s mine 🙂
How Can You Cultivate Self Love?
Cultivating self love can be accomplished in so many ways. There’s simply no 1 way to do self love. However, if you’re new to your journey and have no idea where to start. Ive compiled a list of things that helped me get more comfortable with expressing love to myself. This is to serve as a guide but you are encouraged to do what feels and works best for you.
The Journey back to you: 7 practical and core steps to help accelerate your self love journey
1.) Practice self-care
Make time for activities that make you feel good, such as taking a bubble bath, going for a walk, or reading a book. Never underestimate the power of simple. These are just a few things that can get you started and as you progress on your journey you can add elements. So instead instead of just taking a bubble bath. You now include lighting a few candles, pouring you a glass of wine a relaxing to your fav playlist. Whatever you do just make sure it shows your care for yourself. There’s no wrong or right thing to do. Do what FEELS best don’t over think it.
2.) Treat yourself with kindness and compassion
When negative self-talk arises, tone it out by reminding yourself of who you are. If you’re at a place in life where you have no idea who you are. Afirm yourself with affirmations that reflect who you’d like to be. The challenge here will be making sure that you pay close attention to your thought patterns and how you actually speak and think about yourself . It won’t be the easiest thing to do at first, but stick with it. In time I promise it will become natural and you’ll then be able to replace those negative thoughts with more uplifting positive words.
3.) Set boundaries
Learn to say “no” to things that don’t align with your values or drain your energy.As you begin to evolve you’re going to have to evaluate what you will and will not be available for anymore. A great rule of thumb to follow for this one is…. before agreeing to any engagement give yourself at least 2hours before committing. That way you can actually check in with yourself and determine wether or not that’s something you’re available for at that time and at this point of your healing journey. By taking the extra time to make a decision you’re reteaching yourself on a subcousious level to acknowledge you and your needs first.
4.) Practice forgiveness
Forgive yourself for past mistakes and offer yourself compassion. We ALL have things we regret Lord knows I have a LIST of things I regret and maybe even run from.However, in order to maximize results; while navigating through your self love journey.You must accept those NOT so good things you may have did/said as a part of your story! The minute you acknowledge and accept your mistakes you give yourself the opportunity to trade in shame for compassion,,,, and that’s when the real healing can take place.
5.) Focus on your strengths
Recognize your unique talents and abilities, and celebrate them. If you’re anything like me then you had a hard time accepting your talents or just didn’t feel like you had any. If you relate then a good tip here is to pay attention to the things people come to you naturally for. Example: If your friends ALWAYS come to you specifically for advice that means you most likely posses the gift of wisdom. Now instead of getting annoyed by people that ask for your opinion/help. Get excited that you’re now in position to remind yourself of your personal gift/talent. We are all here to find and fulfill our calling. We are unable to do that if we hide the very thing that sets us apart from others. Hear me when I say we all have something special that’s needed by someone else. It’s up to us to realize, accept and share that with others.
6.) Surround yourself with positive influences
Spend time with people who uplift and support you. If the person you feel the most supported by right now is just yourself that completely fine too.The company you keep is so important. If you’re a natural “fixer” like I was you may find that you are involved and/or attract a lot of toxic people naturally. If this is you remember you deserve to be loved, appreciated and cared for in the same way you love and show up for others. It’s okay to help don’t get me wrong but make sure those closest to you pours in and shows up for you in a similar way. No more over extending yourself!
7.) Seek professional help
If you’re struggling with self love or you feel “stuck” in your journey. Consider seeking the help of a therapist or counselor. When you’ve done everything you could in your own power. Reach out for additional help. This doesn’t mean anything negative about you. By seeking out professional help you allow yourself the opportunity to create a game plan to tackle any issues that are hindering your ability to fully show up for yourself.
Conclusion
Self love is indeed important and available to everyone who’s willing to put in the effort. By cultivating self love, we improve our overall quality of life, build better relationships with others, and increase our chances of success in all areas of our life. It’s a lifelong journey, but one that is well worth the daily effort. You are more than capable of learning and implementing self love. If you are looking for more articles like this one to help you along your journey. Be sure to check TheSelfLoveDiary for more tips and tricks to help you on your journey back to you. This journey will take sometime and a little effort but I promise on the other side of your effort is your best self! Its worth it ALL.
Thanks for reading
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