Today, I choose to love myself more.

Yes, choosing to love your self-more can be easier said than done. However, it can happen with conscious decision-making and by you choosing you first. Self-love is not just a feeling; it is an action step and an action step that should be practiced. Self- love is essential to living good.

When we start to truly love ourselves, we no longer have to deny our needs over someone else’s needs. We no longer have to say, “Yes” when we really want to say, “No.” We no longer have to live in guilt and shame because we choose to take care of ourselves. Taking care of ourselves is an all right thing to do; it is a necessity for our survival.

If we are not good for ourselves, we cannot be good for others. It is okay to love ourselves, take care of ourselves, and do things for ourselves that makes us feel good, and become better individuals. Once we start loving ourselves better, we can love others better. The bible tells us in Mark 12:31 “The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ‘ No other commandment is greater than these.”

How can we earnestly love our neighbors, including our enemies, if we have not learned how to love ourselves?  Self-love is a vital part of loving someone else.

Not sure where to start on your journey to self-love, start with these three steps:

1. Forgive yourself, we are human and we make mistakes no matter how big or small they are. Mistakes can be lessons and we should find the blessing in the lessons. Lessons are there to assist us in our physical, mental, and spiritual growth. We can become better individuals because we learned from our mistakes and can mature because of them.
2. Boundaries set them, they are important. In order to love yourself more you need to set limits to things that will drain you physically, spirituality, and mentally. These things can be work, family, friends, relationships, and other activities/people that don’t agree with our values and principles.
3. Self-Care, start taking better care of yourself. Do the things that make you feel better mentally, physically, and spiritually. Examples of self-care can include, however are not limited to the following: Praying, Exercising, Eating Well, Reading a book, building healthy relationships, being still, taking the time to get to know you better, baking, getting a manicure, and starting a gratitude journal.