In today's blog I will talk about the first five ways.
The first way is do away with self criticism. Negative self talk usually stems from our childhood. Children who feel they are never good enough grow up to feel insecure about their self worth. When we believe these lies we start to think and act in ways that actually make it come true. When we believe that we are bad in some way, it becomes very difficult to counter self criticism. Stop self belittling remarks in their tracks. Become aware of what you say to yourself.
The second way to love yourself is stop what psychologist Albert Ellis calls "awfulizing." We tend to scare ourselves by making mountains out of molehills. For example, the thought that it would be just awful if something does not go our way, is just that--a thought. And, we DO have the power to control our thoughts. Before we know it, when we scare ourselves, we block out all possibility of experiencing joyful feelings, because we are too afraid that we or what we believe will be rejected in some way.
The third way is to be patient with yourself. If we can treat others with kindness why not treat ourselves kindly also? We are all human, and deserve to cut ourselves a break. This life is a journey we are on, there will be hills and valleys to negotiate. It is all okay. The question to ask ourselves is, "how important is this I am thinking? Will it matter 20 or 30 years from now?"
The fourth way is to be "kind to our minds." Pushing and striving all the time stresses us out. It is important to give ourselves some quiet relief by meditating and relaxing. Quieting our minds gives us an opportunity to connect to our inner guru and become refreshed. The inner wisdom we need to draw upon presents itself in this quietude.
The fifth way is to praise ourselves. This is a good opportunity to utilize positive affirmations. Criticism weakens us and praise builds us up. Do not wait for others to give you the kudos you need. Praise yourself!
The sixth way to love yourself is to seek out and accept support from others. We are social creatures and need to give and receive nurturance. Often times we believe that not asking for help is a strong thing to do, but actually the exact opposite is true. It takes a great deal of ego strength to say to ourselves, "I cannot do this alone, I need help." When we receive support from others, we are strengthening our connectiveness to all within the universe.
The seventh way is to embrace our negatives. We all have a dimension to us that is known as the "shadow." This is where we keep the ideas about ourselves that we are not willing to bring into the light. We are whole persons, and consist of both light and dark energies. If we hate and hide parts of ourselves, what can we expect those parts to do for us? Love your faults. Love your strengths. Love your whole being. Our shadows bring texture to our lives. Simply because we do not understand the purpose of these negatives, does not mean that they do not have a purpose in the grand scheme of things. Cultivate self acceptance and use humor to help you come to terms with your inner dark side.
The eighth way to love yourself is take care of this earthly vessel we inhabit, which is known as our body. We are more than our bodies, but we use our bodies to get around in this world. Would you choose to ride around town in a dilapidated and broken vehicle? Take loving care of this vehicle you call your body.
The ninth way to love yourself is to practice what Louise Hay calls, "mirror work." Say your affirmations in front of a mirror and you will learn the truth of your existence. You need not use a physical mirror, you can talk to yourself instead. You can hold a whole conversation with yourself, and in the process solve many conflicts. When doing mirror work, it is very likely that you will encounter a negative response from yourself. This is a very special gift. That negative response will actually give you insight into what is holding you back from loving yourself. Turn that negative response into a positive affirmation, and break the chains of your negative self talk.
And finally, the tenth way to love yourself is to start doing it NOW! Do not put it off, saying perhaps when I am smarter, thinner, worthier, better looking, etc. I will start to love myself. Do it in the here and now! Love yourself unconditionally. Once you have learned to love yourself, you will be able to love others. Essentially, we cannot give away something that we do not own. Louise Hay claims that, "the quickest way to change any problem is to love who we are."
The first way is do away with self criticism. Negative self talk usually stems from our childhood. Children who feel they are never good enough grow up to feel insecure about their self worth. When we believe these lies we start to think and act in ways that actually make it come true. When we believe that we are bad in some way, it becomes very difficult to counter self criticism. Stop self belittling remarks in their tracks. Become aware of what you say to yourself.
The second way to love yourself is stop what psychologist Albert Ellis calls "awfulizing." We tend to scare ourselves by making mountains out of molehills. For example, the thought that it would be just awful if something does not go our way, is just that--a thought. And, we DO have the power to control our thoughts. Before we know it, when we scare ourselves, we block out all possibility of experiencing joyful feelings, because we are too afraid that we or what we believe will be rejected in some way.
The third way is to be patient with yourself. If we can treat others with kindness why not treat ourselves kindly also? We are all human, and deserve to cut ourselves a break. This life is a journey we are on, there will be hills and valleys to negotiate. It is all okay. The question to ask ourselves is, "how important is this I am thinking? Will it matter 20 or 30 years from now?"
The fourth way is to be "kind to our minds." Pushing and striving all the time stresses us out. It is important to give ourselves some quiet relief by meditating and relaxing. Quieting our minds gives us an opportunity to connect to our inner guru and become refreshed. The inner wisdom we need to draw upon presents itself in this quietude.
The fifth way is to praise ourselves. This is a good opportunity to utilize positive affirmations. Criticism weakens us and praise builds us up. Do not wait for others to give you the kudos you need. Praise yourself!
The sixth way to love yourself is to seek out and accept support from others. We are social creatures and need to give and receive nurturance. Often times we believe that not asking for help is a strong thing to do, but actually the exact opposite is true. It takes a great deal of ego strength to say to ourselves, "I cannot do this alone, I need help." When we receive support from others, we are strengthening our connectiveness to all within the universe.
The seventh way is to embrace our negatives. We all have a dimension to us that is known as the "shadow." This is where we keep the ideas about ourselves that we are not willing to bring into the light. We are whole persons, and consist of both light and dark energies. If we hate and hide parts of ourselves, what can we expect those parts to do for us? Love your faults. Love your strengths. Love your whole being. Our shadows bring texture to our lives. Simply because we do not understand the purpose of these negatives, does not mean that they do not have a purpose in the grand scheme of things. Cultivate self acceptance and use humor to help you come to terms with your inner dark side.
The eighth way to love yourself is take care of this earthly vessel we inhabit, which is known as our body. We are more than our bodies, but we use our bodies to get around in this world. Would you choose to ride around town in a dilapidated and broken vehicle? Take loving care of this vehicle you call your body.
The ninth way to love yourself is to practice what Louise Hay calls, "mirror work." Say your affirmations in front of a mirror and you will learn the truth of your existence. You need not use a physical mirror, you can talk to yourself instead. You can hold a whole conversation with yourself, and in the process solve many conflicts. When doing mirror work, it is very likely that you will encounter a negative response from yourself. This is a very special gift. That negative response will actually give you insight into what is holding you back from loving yourself. Turn that negative response into a positive affirmation, and break the chains of your negative self talk.
And finally, the tenth way to love yourself is to start doing it NOW! Do not put it off, saying perhaps when I am smarter, thinner, worthier, better looking, etc. I will start to love myself. Do it in the here and now! Love yourself unconditionally. Once you have learned to love yourself, you will be able to love others. Essentially, we cannot give away something that we do not own. Louise Hay claims that, "the quickest way to change any problem is to love who we are."
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