Have you ever felt the need for someone to love you madly, deeply and passionately like in those mushy romantic novels? Did that happen in your life? May be for few, it is a dream come true.  Even for those few, it is not eternal and long lasting.

At one point in my life, I understood that reality is far more different and the only person who is going to stay with me lifelong is ‘JUST ME’. Hence to make the best out of life, to have a happy and peaceful life, it is absolutely essential that I should LOVE myself more than anything in the world.

You may ask why should I love myself?

How loving and taking caring of myself could be interesting? Does it even worth?

Yes !!! You can live a best life ever, only if you learn to love and treat you the way you want others to treat you. Why can’t you try it for a day and find this out by yourself.

• Get up and pamper yourself like how you would pamper your little kid.
• Go out and buy everything like how you want to buy them for your kids.
• Hug yourself tightly and say ‘You are the best person in the world’ like how you would want your close friend to do it for you.
• Write a love letter to yourself like how you would want your spouse to do it for you.
• On next birthday, send a huge greeting card to yourself writing down all the best things about you.
• See the mirror and say out loud ‘How proud you are’ to see the person in front of you.

In short, write down all the things that you want others to do it for you and do that by YOURSELF. Start loving yourself. It is easier to change ourselves, than attempting to change others. In fact we can never change others.

You may still wonder why self-love is more important, why does it even matter?

Because,

• It will change everything you believed so far in life.
• It will make you learn that we don’t have to expect others for your happiness.
• It will make you understand yourself better.
• It will show you what happiness is all about.
• It will teach you that self-love is the best and pure form of love.

How can I Love myself?

Let me tell you some of the best things I did to myself to make me love more. I mean to love myself crazily. I mean to treat myself like a queen. If you want to practice self-love, please try all or at least few of the below steps consistently and see how life changes.

Positive Self Talk

Do you hear the non-stop inner voice that talks to you all the time? It is one of your best friends ever. I seriously wonder how some people say that they are alone when they have this bugging non-stop voice inside.

If only you learn to tame this little friend, it will be your biggest support in your life. Do you want your spouse to motivate you in your passion, make your inner voice do that!!! Do you want your parents to say how they are proud of you, then make this little voice do that.

Believe me, this inner voice is the only one who knows your true self. Make it your best friend. Make it talk to motivate you, inspire you, support you, hug you, and criticize you. Don’t spoil your inner voice by constantly make it talk only about your worries. Practice positive self-talk.

Accept Who You Are

None of us here are perfect. If you learn this truth, you won’t punish yourself for the mistakes or the choices you made in life. Forgive yourself. Accept yourself as the person you are, and try to work towards the best version of you.

If you learn to accept who you are and make a peace with yourself, you will never ever bother about others judging or criticizing you. You know yourself and nothing else matters anymore. Even if the whole world brings you down, you know who you are. That is self-love.

Expectations

We all know the expectation we have on others is the root for many spoiled relationships. So one of the life biggest lessons is to drop the expectation on others, and for once expect something from you.

Expect yourself to take care of you. Expect yourself to respect you. Expect yourself to appreciate you. Anything that you want it from others, try to do that by yourself first!!!

Take Care of Yourself

When did the last time you did something to make you happy. I mean something you did for yourself alone without bothering about anyone. If you have never tried that, please do that.

Take care of yourself like a princess/prince. Take care of yourself like a tantrum throwing little baby.  It should be ingrained in your mind that there is always one person in the world who is going to take care of you and that is YOU.

Eat Healthy

Our body is the only thing that is given to us to live this life. Many people are more worried that they got a scratch in their new car, but don’t even care about stuff that we put inside our stomach. Our new car is more precious than the body we are fated to live forever.

Please don’t abuse your body. Eat healthy. Your body is not a garbage to throw toxic junk food, it is a temple to worship. Eat healthy that nourishes your body.

Worry for Yourself

When I say worry for yourself, I mean..

• Before you delve on negative thoughts, please worry that what it is going to do to your mind.
• Before you eat that fat burger, worry that what it is going to do to your body.
• Before you think about people who drained you, think about how are still not letting it go and hurting yourself.

`In short, worry about you and not about others.

Put Yourself First

I appreciate everyone who tries to keep others happy. However, at what cost? Sacrificing self and doing it for others might sound good when we hear it. However, it won’t sustain in the long run.

Before you do things for others, please try to take a moment and think do you really want to do that?. There is no harm in saying ‘No’ if that can save you from hell lot of pain later. Put yourself first at any situation, because no one is going to do that for you. People may call you selfish. But you know yourself, Right?

Learn to Let Go

Let go of everything that hurts you, that brings you down, that makes you sad, that ill-treats you, that depresses you, that stresses you, that stopping you from living your life.

It is absolutely not worth it. Let go of them ruthlessly. Not for others. But to save your sanity and peace.

Look At the Mirror

Every day look at the mirror and say how much you love the person you see on it. It is blessing that you are born on this earth. Feel happy to be alive among life chaos.

Spend Time for Yourself

Take time every day and do things that make you happy. Have you ever heard that, in order to maintain a healthy relationship with someone, you need to invest your time and energy to make it happen? Same is true with self.

If you want to have a healthy relationship with your inner self, then take time and spend for yourself. Learn a hobby that keeps you hooked. Follow your dreams. Act upon your passions. There are endless activities that you can to do it for yourself.

Just like anything you won’t start loving yourself immediately. You can’t go head over heels soon by seeing you in the mirror.  It takes time to get the awareness that self-love is probably the best investment you can make for yourself.

Also self-care does not end up in doing it for a day and then going back to the old habit of wallowing in self-pity.  It is getting up every day and doing what matters to you the most. Self-love is the never ending love you have to have for yourself.