Have you ever wondered why we find it so easy to love other people yet find it so difficult learning how to love yourself?
I think it’s because we have been taught that loving ourselves is selfish or conceited in some way. After all, nobody likes a narcissistic person who walks around saying, “I’m so awesome!” all the time, and never seems to care very much about anyone else.
But there is a huge difference between loving yourself and being a narcissist!
Loving yourself doesn’t mean you think you’re better than everyone else.
It’s simply a matter of recognizing your own good qualities and acknowledging that you are a loveable person and that you are worthy of love.
Because no matter what you’ve been taught to believe, you ARE worthy of love. I want you to understand that at a bone-deep level.
No matter who you are or where you’re at in life, you deserve all the love in the world. @JackCanfield (Click to Tweet!)
And the most important person you need to receive that love from, more than anyone else, is yourself.
Benefits of Loving Yourself
Here are three powerful reasons why loving yourself is the key to a good life – and why the world needs you to love yourself more now more than ever.
1. It Makes You Happier
Loving yourself is all about acknowledging your positive qualities and being kind to yourself. You spend less time berating yourself for your mistakes and perceived flaws with negative self-talk and more time celebrating your successes and building on your strengths.
And if you’ve been following me for any length of time, you probably know that what you focus on grows.
So when you focus on your successes and your strengths, the more successful and more capable you’ll become!
And of course, that is going to increase your happiness, your satisfaction, and your enjoyment of life.
2. It Makes You Healthier
Because a big part of loving someone is giving them what they need to thrive – mentally, physically, and spiritually. So when you love yourself, what we’re really talking about is practicing self-care and giving yourself what you need to show up in the world as your best self.
3. It Makes the World a Better Place
Because when you show up in the world as your best self, you encourage others to do the same – and it creates a positive ripple effect that impacts the lives of many others.
Not only that – when we love ourselves, we become so much better at loving others. We’re kinder to each other because we’ve learned how to be kind to ourselves. And I think we can all agree that the world today needs a lot more love and kindness in it.
Learn How to Love Yourself
All right, so exactly HOW do you learn how to love yourself?
Here are some tips:
1. Get More Sleep
Most people are chronically sleep deprived, which is a problem – because when you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to get sick, become obese, suffer from depression, develop cancer, and put yourself at risk of a whole host of other health problems as well.
So one of the nicest things you could ever do for yourself is to get the rest you need. I don’t care how much work you have, schedule several nights a week where you are going to go to bed earlier and get at least 8 hours of sleep.
2. Eat Healthier
When you eat healthy food in the amounts your body needs, you have more energy and feel better about yourself. And you’re less likely to become sick. Eat fewer carbs and more protein and vegetables.
3. Get More Exercise
It doesn’t have to be painful or strenuous – it can be as simple as doing yoga, tai chi, some basic calisthenics or going for a daily walk. Physical activity releases endorphins, boosts your energy and mood, increases your emotional resilience and improves your self-esteem.
There are also a number of exercise videos you can buy, pop into your DVD player or your computer and just follow along. The key is to build it into your calendar at a specific time each day.
4. Celebrate Your Success
Take time every week to celebrate your successes and remind yourself what you’re capable of achieving. Not only will it boost your confidence and self-esteem, but it will also motivate you to achieve more success in life. One way to do this is to keep a Victory Log where you write down your successes at the end of each day.
5. Be Gentle With Yourself
No one is perfect. You’re going to make mistakes. Instead of berating yourself for them, use your mistakes as an opportunity to learn something that will help you get better results in the future.
6. Take Time for Yourself.
Make sure to give yourself time every week to do something you love. Take a hot bath, read a book, watch a movie, spend time on your favorite hobby, or do something fun with a friend.
Whatever fills your soul with gladness. Because you deserve it.
And because in doing so, you will encourage others to do so as well. Again, put this into your schedule when you are planning your week, and then don’t let anything violate that space.
7. Believe in Yourself
You are capable of achieving anything you can imagine. The universe will not give you a vision that you can’t make a reality. All you have to do is take one small action after another and you can create any results you want in life.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being high, how much do you love yourself, and what are some of the ways you practice self-care? Let me know in the comments below.
As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre—and watched it grow to a billion dollar market. As the driving force behind the development and delivery of over 100 million books sold through the Chicken Soup for the Soul® franchise, Jack Canfield is uniquely qualified to talk about success. Jack is America’s #1 Success Coach and wrote the life-changing book The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be and Jack speaks around the world on this subject. Check out his newest book The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home. Follow Jack at www.jackcanfield.com and sign up for his free resources today!
Image courtesy of Guilherme Stecanella.
