Learning
the Art of Self-Love
“Love is the great miracle
cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives”
-Louise Hay-
Practicing
the art of self-love is arguably one of the hardest things to learn. So often,
we are faced with circumstances which challenge us to make decisions that
affect ourselves and/or others. Other times we are plagued by our past.
Childhood situations that were out of our control, our reactions or even
decisions we felt were incorrect can haunt us. We hold onto the emotions, fear,
guilt, pain and hurt. All of these built up emotions can cause us to see ourselves
in a different light. As a result, we can lack self-esteem, self-love and
forget to have compassion and forgiveness for ourselves.
Think
about it! Have you ever consoled a friend who made a mistake and had a hard
time forgiving themselves for it? Did you see their situation from a place of
love? Why is it so hard for us to treat ourselves the same way we’d treat our
friends? You must evaluate yourself. Are you a perfectionist scared to make a
mistake? Are you afraid of how the world will view you? Are you holding onto a
condition that an authority figure expected of you? Maybe a root issue is what
really needs to be worked on and forgiven. We can’t possibly move forward if we
don’t practice compassion for ourselves.
Be Honest With Yourself: Before reprimanding or judging yourself, try to
step out of you and the situation at hand. See yourself as a friend would and
try to show a little compassion. You can honor yourself by accepting that you
made a mistake. Acceptance is important and helps you acknowledge the mistake,
yet offers you the option to grow by forgiving yourself and moving forward.
You’ve Paid Your Price: Think about how long you’ve been punishing yourself. You’ve probably
been paying your debt for days, months or even years. That stops now. Realize
that nobody can punish you more than you’ve punished yourself. Give yourself a
break and know that what you suffered in guilt, regret or fear is enough.
Choose forgiveness now!
See Yourself as God Sees You: Remember that you were put on the earth to learn, grow and evolve. You
are living a human experience and part of that experience is making mistakes
and learning from them. That’s what makes you rich in knowledge and experience.
Allow yourself to see the world and yourself through the eyes of the divine.
You were made from perfection and it’s our imperfections that make us perfect.
So
give
yourself a break and allow yourself to be you. Continue to learn,
grow and
evolve and, most of all, love yourself through it!