Most of us seek someone to love or to love us. We don’t think about cultivating self-love or realize that love originates within. After dating, marriage and after a few years, we eventually return to how happy we are as individuals. The images above are available for you to write your own script.
Self-esteem matters. Research has well-established that it’s a big factor in our health and happiness. Low self-esteem can prevent us from reaping the rewards of living. In fact, the level of our self-esteem can predict our longevity.
We think about ourselves based on things we were told and learned. Our beliefs, defenses, and habits are not our natural, authentic Self. Cultivating self-love is a worthwhile endeavor for ourselves to feel better. There are remarkable benefits associated with self-love:
Better stress management
Better sleep
Better heart health
Longer lives
Improved self-esteem
Greater happiness
Lowered risk of depression
We are all born innocent and worthy of love. Once we understand this, we can begin improving our self-concepts if needed and nurturing our real Self.
Your mind is a garden,
your thoughts are the seeds.
You can grow flowers or
you can grow weeds.
After pulling the weeds, we nourish our garden with self-appreciation. Our mind does not distinguish between praise coming from others or our own words and thoughts. Inventory your strengths, accomplishments, loving qualities, acts of courage, and your desire to give, love, and grow. Practice appreciating yourself (and others). Each day think of qualities about yourself that you (or anyone) appreciate. Focus on the positive, moving toward life-affirming actions.
Self-acceptance is greater than self-esteem, and self-acceptance paves the way for self-love. It means honoring and accepting all of ourselves, including our appearance, thoughts, and feelings. Choose to raise your self-esteem.
By the way… (Here it comes!) this is done in secret. We do not work on our public image—at first. This is not an aggrandizing ego trip. Public acceptance becomes automatic after the inner work is accomplished.
We are released from the past and who we once were. This paves the way for transformation, wholeness, self-respect, and self-love. We grow self-love when we express our positive feelings, needs, and wants. Positive feelings multiply themselves; we’re liberated and have energy to move forward.
Fulfilling our needs and wants are essential ways of cultivating self-love that lift our spirits. It’s a key to the happiness that calms and revitalizes us. Doing estimable acts raises our self-esteem. We’re able to hold our heads up and feel deserving of respect and love. Random acts of kindness add to your spirit. Practice gratitude by looking for things in your life and in the world to be grateful for—even if you don’t feel it.
You can enhance self-love with visualization. Focus on beauty and things you’re grateful for. Say loving affirmations. Send your love to those you care about, to yourself, to those in need, and to the planet. Open your heart. Peace and joy. This will be the key for a more fulfilling life moving forward. Utilize the following Love Procedure Generator.
Choose one word from each column.
Add a personal selection of nouns and verbs.
Voila! You have just created an affirmation.
Repeat as desired or as necessary.
11/19/2023