In the times that we live in, it can be hard to take the time to love ourselves with our busy schedules and our hectic lives. We can spend our lives trying to prove ourselves to those around us and end up never taking the time to really love ourselves. A lot of the media has conditioned us into believing that if we have these so called external things then we will be loved and feel loved.
It is usually our lack of trust and belief in ourselves which can prevent us from loving ourselves. Feelings such as I am not good enough and that I don’t deserve can be a part of the conditioning that we feel that it is wrong to love ourselves. When we judge or compare ourselves to other people in society, it can be a barrier to us loving ourselves. Many of us live with the need to receive external validation, approval and acceptance from other people and never really giving it to ourselves.
When we are not loving ourselves, we usually don’t feel happy with ourselves. We have a tendency to not trust and believe in ourselves and the unique talents and gifts we have to offer the world. We also can be looking for approval, validation, acceptance and praise from other people. Often times when we are not loving ourselves we tend to not feel a sense of joy, peace and contentment in our lives. We can also believe that somebody like our soul mate is going make us happy and complete our lives however we need to be able to create this for ourselves.
When we are loving ourselves, we usually love and accept ourselves. We find it easy to just be ourselves and not try to be anything that we are not. We find that we treat ourselves kindly, gently and with the respect and dignity that we deserve. When we are loving ourselves, we tend to listen to ourselves and trust the answer that comes. We find it easy to say Yes to what we want and No to what we don’t want. When we are in this place, we seem to be living our lives based on our own approval, acceptance and validation. We find it easy to trust and believe in who we are and have the courage and faith to go for what we want regardless of what other people’s opinions are.
There are many benefits in choosing to love yourself such as;
* Being able to have a feeling of happiness and a sense of joy within.
* Having a more relaxed and carefree life because you are not trying to be anybody that you are not.
* Feeling that you are good enough exactly as you are and you are living your life based on your own approval, acceptance, praise and validation.
* Having less likelihood of mental and physical diseases because you are doing more healthy and loving things for your mind, body and spirit.
* You are more authentic and loving in your relationships with others because you have no expectation for somebody outside yourself to make you happy or to show you love.
Here are a few ways that I have thought of in how we can start to learn to love ourselves more;
1. Listen to your heart and start saying yes to the answer that comes up from within. Start to live your life based on your own approval, acceptance and praise.
2. Be gentle and kind to yourself and believe and know that you are doing the best you can in your current situation.
3. Spend quality time with yourself everyday – even for 1 hour. Do something you enjoy doing which could be playing music, singing, painting, drumming, writing, yoga, etc.
4. Start valuing your gifts and abilities and believe that you have something meaningful to contribute.
5. Stop comparing your life, your circumstances and yourself with people around. You never know what another person’s journey is.
6. Ask yourself – what makes me happy? What do I really want from life?
7. Treat yourself to something nice on a regular basis. This could be a massage, meal, doing something you love, etc.
As always I would love to hear any feedback, words of wisdom, comments you may have.
Namaste.
TW
Shandra said:
Perfect words , perfect timing. Thanks for the reminder. Shandra
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are very welcome 🙂 Namaste. TW
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Carol Hampson said:
Thank you for your beautiful post! I posted something a day ago that fits nicely with what you are saying. Namaste.
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The Truth Warrior said:
I will check out your post. Namaste. TW
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mybipolarhomosexuality said:
well written and beautifully expressed. I tried to convey the similar thoughts in my yesterday’s post http://mybipolarhomosexuality.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/enjoying-your-own-company/ But reading from your side is always a pleasant experience 🙂
Blessings.
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The Truth Warrior said:
I will check it out. Thanks so much for sharing. Namaste. TW
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Casey said:
Reblogged this on The Sprightly Writer and commented:
Beautiful Truth.
My favorite line:
“[When we are loving ourselves…} We find that we treat ourselves kindly, gently and with the respect and dignity that we deserve.”
True dat. Sometimes I’ve been less than unloving towards myself. No more.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks for the reblog and quoting those words. Namaste. TW
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todessakane2013 said:
Beautiful 🙂 Thank you 🙂 A timely reminder 🙂 God bless your beautiful heart, keep up the great work 🙂
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks for your inspiring and kind comment. Namaste. TW
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todessakane2013 said:
You are very welcome, I hope that your week is going well so far 🙂
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joedalio said:
It’s amazing how just as I ask God this question I receive an excellent answer. Thank you 🙂
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are very welcome 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed it. Namaste. TW
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Sensual Mystiq Vibe said:
I absolutely needed this post today! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and lifting my spirits. I must remember to be kind to myself instead of becoming frustrated when things don’t work out as I hope.
Thank you again. Love, Peace & Blessings…
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are very welcome. I wish you the best on your own journey. Namaste. TW
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ramakrishnan6002 said:
Reblogged this on Gr8fullsoul.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks for the reblog. Namaste. TW
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gijoefun79 said:
Interesting and excellent writing. Especially considering I am not even sure how it turned up in my reader( I am not yet following). Just my opinion and life experiences, but it has never been as easy as a few steps. I have tried MANY programs over the years of my vast life experiences. There has never been a program, belief system, or really much that has truly worked for me in the long run. At the end of my day (if I am actually able to fall asleep) I consider it a good day if I know I gave it all I had. Cut myself some slack for those days I cannot give it everything. Try to make someone else’s day a little better somehow. If most of these happen I can hopefully try it all over again tomorrow. Thanks for the writing.
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are very welcome. Thanks for you authentic and kind comment. Namaste. TW
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theoccidentalreader said:
I spent way too much time on #6, and am happy to say that I finally figured it out…Loving myself is the key that unlocks peace, joy and happiness. All those things are within me, I choose to let them out or keep them locked away. Great post, and I believe you are pondering some of the most important lessons people need to be learning.
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The Truth Warrior said:
I really love what you said. Thanks for sharing your honesty. Namaste. TW
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relationshiprambles2014 said:
Namaste! Great post!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks 🙂 Namaste. TW
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mountainpat said:
Thank you so much for this reminder!! It was the perfect thing for me to read this morning. Love. Pat.
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are welcome. Namaste. TW
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the dune mouse (CybeleMoon) said:
great reminders!
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The Truth Warrior said:
🙂 Namaste. TW
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freespiritfreewill said:
I concur. An episode of Oprah’s Lifeclass comes to mind when Iyanla appeared as a guest and explained why your “cup runneth over.” Your river should never dry out, but instead flow for an eternity. It should fill your cup infinity times over, so that what’s in your cup is for you, and what runneth over is for everyone else. I thank you for this article. Peace and love to you always.
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FullEmpty said:
Thanks for the gentle and timely words of advice 🙂 Looking forward to your posts. I guess #5 is the greatest challenge for most of humanity!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Very true 🙂 Namaste. TW
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Pingback: I even like the title | dazedandconfused
The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks for the reblog. Namaste. TW
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moirainori77 said:
Reblogged this on Sunflowers for Moira and commented:
Because this is beautiful.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks so much for the reblog. Namaste. TW
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sdschwarz said:
I’m going to print this one out and hang it somewhere I can see it regularly
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The Truth Warrior said:
Than you for you kind comment. Namaste. TW
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esse636 said:
Great stuff. Thank you. I have just recently (in my mid-thirties) come to accept and love myself- the freedom is exhilarating!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks 🙂 Namaste. TW
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Rita Harrison said:
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked one of my posts!
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are welcome 🙂 Namaste. TW
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inspiretheworld2day said:
Great advice!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks 🙂 Namaste. TW
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Daniel Andrew Lockwood said:
I feel a lack of self-love comes from the belief that we make mistakes. When mistakes become regrets, there is where we block the divine from flowing. I have learned that regrets are grudges we hold against ourselves. When we hold a grudge against another, the first order of business is usually a desire to punish this person for their perceived misdeeds. When we hold a grudges against ourselves the first order of business is self-punishment, and most have no idea they are doing it. The pain and suffering most feel is inflicted by a pavlovian response to fix what was “broken.” The way out of this cycle is, of course, forgiveness. I have a post that says, “In the house that is Love, written on the floor of the basement, is the word forgiveness.” Here is MY quick way to forgive what might become a regret before it does. God is everything and I too am part of everything, so I must also be a part of God. Can God make a mistake? If the answer is ‘no,’ then logically I am incapable of making a mistake because we are connected. What might annoy or upset me in the moment I can realize is part of a much larger picture. Why then do we persist in believing that we are flawed and imperfect? Because this is the wall that keeps us separate from God. What we might think of as good or bad is always on purpose and perfect. I Love myself because I Love God. Always do the most what you regret the least and there will be no pain in life. I will NOT be laying on my death bed and have my last thought begin with, “I sure wish….” I live regret free and it generates endless abundance in my life.
By the way, thank you kindly for liking the last post on my blog and thank YOU for this post.
With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks so much for your great words of wisdom. I really like what you said. Namaste. TW
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Julian Metta said:
Beautiful. Thank you so much for this.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Glad you enjoyed it. Namaste. TW
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Ruth Chadwick said:
Thank you for following my new blog. And for your thoughtful posts – I am enjoying them.
Namaste.
Ruth
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The Truth Warrior said:
That’s great 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Namaste. TW
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unalightweaver said:
Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙂
For the last few months (although I really don’t feel time in the way I once used to, it used to feel like a line, now its more…like the line has become transparent, still visible so that I may walk it when I choose, or need to, but because of its transparent nature I only feel it from time to time, almost like a marker for events and experiaces. I feel present, that’s the best way to describe it.)
Lol, I got a little off track, but that’s exactly what it feels like, whatever I’m focused on in the moment becomes that moment. Maybe this is the first time I’ve ever been passionate about something enough to fully loose myself within it 🙂
I felt through your writing that we were intimately connected by the experiences we are feeling. Your words mirror mine, in the sense that I feel resonance with what you are feeling to such a degree that I feel as though they are my own.
You expressed beautifully my personal journey to Loving self.
It made me realize that yes, I was really loving myself, no longer just conceptually but tangibly.
So of course life is going to feel better for me, it can do nothing but reflect back to me what I am thinking and feeling, and I’ve been feeling fantastic 🙂
Thanks for reflecting back to me that I am indeed loving myself! 🙂 and that there are other people who can so closely relate to how it feels as we move through our individual paths.
You’re awesome, and I’m following your work because I can feel that there is much we can learn from each other 🙂 ❤
with all my love & light ❤
We are Love
We are Loved
We are ONE
Namaste 🙂
Katarzyna Antonina UNA
unalightweaver.wordpress.com
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks so much for your wonderful response to my blog post. I really appreciate it. I look forward to following your blog. Namaste. TW
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unalightweaver said:
Likewise 🙂
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The Truth Warrior said:
🙂
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unalightweaver said:
🙂
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Lee Neale said:
It’s always great to refresh that intention to love oneself fully. Ironically the soul mate that we all truly seek is unity with one’s authentic self. I have noticed that to find the soul mate within is to be able to feel it instantly within others, regardless of how close or unfamiliar they are. I finally understand that Gandhi quote. “If you don’t see god within the next person you meet, then you need not look any further.” Much gratitude for your words of wisdom.
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The Truth Warrior said:
I really love that Gandhi quote. Very inspiring and very true. Thanks so much for sharing. Namaste. TW
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Lee Neale said:
Your welcome. Keep up the beautiful muse!
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The Truth Warrior said:
🙂
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awax1217 said:
The truth is like an onion. The real truth is in the middle and to get to it you need to peel off the layers that we have placed to avoid the truth.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Yes. This is very true 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Namaste. TW
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