Make self-love priority one

To me, life is a voyage of self-discovery and learning self-love is the main component. To love ourselves is to know ourselves, and to know ourselves is to recognize the full spectrum of our powers.

When we practice self-love, we are continually naming and claiming all of who we are—and this includes the scariest parts. We accept the little peculiarities, the embarrassments, the things we may not do so well, along with all our wonderful qualities, too.

This can be challenging, particularly for women. But when can accept the whole package with unconditional love, you can build greater self-compassion and also enhance your ability to offer compassion to others.

Remember—Love is a choice, much in the same way anger, hate, or sadness is. We can choose to forgive someone who has hurt us and begin to finally heal. We can choose to be grateful for what we have. We can choose love. It’s a great realization to fully understand—that it is within your control what you choose. And in this moment, right now, let’s choose Love.

Through daily efforts you can choose love and create powerful ways to love yourself. Here are four things you can do today to start you on the path.

1. Put yourself first. We can only give what we have within us. So, if we exhaust ourselves and just keep on giving our time and energy to others, we will have nothing left for ourselves. This, in turn, makes it harder for us to give to others in the future. Investing in yourself is just as important, if not more, as investing in others. Re-evaluate what it means to put yourself first: What are your interests? Your ambitions? What makes you feel good, what do you enjoy? How can you ensure your own well-being?
2. Say I love you. Speak it to yourself every morning: look in a mirror and say “I love you” in a sweet, loving voice. Mirror work is the most effective method in learning to love yourself and see the world as a safe and loving place. Even if it feels a little awkward at first, you will be surprised how powerful this practice can be when you show yourself daily doses of well-deserved appreciation.
3. Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes—in relationships, finances, personal decisions, and so on. Being able to forgive yourself can be difficult, but it is so important to be able to do this. When you are able to forgive yourself, you stop being a captive to resentment or anger you may have, which allows you to start focusing on other things. You can let go and show you are willing to embrace freedom. There is no partial letting go—you have to let go completely so you can completely embrace peace.
4. Recognize your strengths. Recognizing your strongest traits endows you with deep knowledge of the self, a precious tool you can use to cultivate your best assets. Understand what your shining qualities are and showcase them with beaming confidence. Once you acknowledge your strengths, you can raise your standards in all elements of life. The moment you begin to believe that you deserve better is the moment you will begin to receive better.

If you choose just one or two of these self-love actions to work on, you will begin to accept and love yourself more. Learning to love ourselves is truly one of the greatest gifts of all.