There is no greater gift we can give ourselves than the gift of unconditional self-love. Self-love empowers you to step into your light, to step into your greatness, and to open up space for abundance to enter your life. Self-love tells the universe, “I am worthy of love, I deserve success, I am ready to live my dreams,” and then, this is what you shall receive.
When we love ourselves, we embrace all that we truly are. We rise above fears, doubts, insecurities, and limiting beliefs, unlocking our fullest potential.
How to Cultivate Self-Love
Self-love means truly valuing your own wellbeing and happiness. It involves showing up for yourself and being your own champion. It means letting go of judgment, regret, and negative self-talk, and embracing the most authentic version of yourself. Offering yourself the same level of kindness, patience, and forgiveness that you offer so freely to others is key.
There are countless ways to practice self-love:
- Practice and demonstrate more self-care, self-respect, and self-discipline.
- Create healthy boundaries and let go of things that no longer serve you.
- Be mindful of the way you speak to yourself.
- Fuel your mind, body, and soul with nourishing food, thoughts, and ideas.
- Start saying no to things you don’t want to do and do more of what makes you happy.
- Practice meditation, journaling, exercise, and prioritize sleep and hydration.
- Offer yourself more compassion and kindness.
We can also offer ourselves space to explore all the parts that make us unique and speak to ourselves in ways that are kind, encouraging, and supportive. Cultivating self-love comes down to one thing: becoming aware of the choices and decisions we make every moment.
Begin to Cultivate Self-Love
To start making decisions that will lead us to cultivate self-love, we must do three things:
1. Become Aware and Mindful
Mindful choices require awareness of the options available. Pause and ask yourself if there’s a more loving and compassionate way to act. For example, if you’re stuck in the diet cycle, consider mindful and intuitive eating principles instead of restrictive behaviors.
If morning news leaves you frustrated or anxious, choose a more self-loving start to your day with music, journaling, or a short yoga session.
2. Honor Where You Are
Self-love means honoring yourself in each moment and making decisions that reflect how you feel at that time. Acknowledge that your needs change day to day and give yourself what you need in each moment.
Key practices include:
- Self-Acceptance: Embrace who you are and recognize that you are a work in progress.
- Being Present: Acknowledge and accept your current situation and feelings without judgment.
- Positive Affirmations: Use affirmations to reinforce a positive self-image.
3. Honor Where You Want to Be Tomorrow
Our lives are a culmination of our choices. Acting in self-loving ways honors both your present needs and your future self. Avoid impulse decisions that may sabotage your future by practicing self-discipline and focusing on long-term goals.
The Ultimate Practice of Self-Love: Perfectly balance what you need today with what your future self needs tomorrow.
Commit to showing up for yourself daily, demonstrating the compassion and love you deserve until it becomes your natural way of life.
Forgiveness and Non-Judgment
Holding onto shame, guilt, anger, and resentment traps you in the past and lowers your vibration. To move forward, let go of these emotions and offer yourself complete non-judgment and forgiveness by acknowledging these truths:
- We were doing our best at the time.
- There is always a valuable lesson to take from every experience.
- We are not the same person we were then; we have grown, evolved, and matured.
Every act of self-love, no matter how small, defines who you are and who you become.