Being and Loving Your Authentic Self

Do you really love yourself?

That is a tough question. How do we know if we do or not? I like to think about loving oneself like having a permanent, ever present best friend. So how do best friends behave towards one another? First of all they encourage each other. They see the best in the other person, they are patient, kind and forgiving. They may also be fun and joyous to be around. They may make you laugh and also be there to support you when you feel like crying. So do you think you are or could be your own best friend?

I believe that we can be our own best friend and in doing so we are giving ourselves the greatest gift possible - unconditional love on a consistent basis. That means that no matter what is going on around you or in your life you always have that sense of support and love. Loving yourself will help your self esteem and confidence, it will help you to be more courageous and go after what we want in life. How often to do hear a voice in your head telling you that you are not good enough to get that job or attract that type of relationship? How often to we hold ourselves back for fear of failure or being made fun of. What if you knew you were unconditionally loved not matter what happened? Maybe you would take more chances in life, live the life you long for.

Part of you may be saying "yah but... I just don't like my body or I am not smart or funny" or whatever you feel you lack. One of the first steps of loving yourself is accepting yourself just as you are right now. Accepting all of you - body, mind and spirit. Part of acceptance is practicing non-judgment. So if you have a big nose it does not have to be a 'bad' thing. Maybe it gives you character or maybe you are a more compassionate and understanding person because of a physical challenge you may have. I believe that we can find a blessing in every difficult situation we face. Once we find the blessing, the challenge no longer seems like a problem or a handicap. It has value in your life. So changing how we perceive things is part of loving ourselves just how we are.

Another part of loving yourself is taking care of yourself in a nurturing way. You may be able to come up with lots of excuses for not taking care of yourself, like you are too busy, you don't have extra cash to spend right now or you may simply not know how to really take care of yourself. Starting with a list of things you love to do may be helpful. Try to include simple things like taking a walk in the park, having a cup of your favorite tea, reading a book, watching a funny video, laughing with friends or listening to great music. Most of these things you can do without any extra money and not much extra time. If you have a busy day or weekend planned try to schedule in some 'you' time. I always like to do my exercise and meditation first thing in the morning when there is little chance of other things coming up and I am not 'too busy' yet!

So I invite you to take a quiet moment, check in with yourself and ask your soul what it needs. Then write up your 'love to do' list and schedule some time for you to nurture yourself. Remember this should be enjoyable and it should energize you, this should not be seen as a chore.

As you start doing little things for yourself it will feel so good you will see that the benefits will spill over into all parts of your life; your relationships, your job, your energy level etc. So what are you waiting for - why not start unconditionally loving yourself right now! Give yourself a big hug and tell yourself one thing you love about yourself and one thing you are grateful for in your life. Love and gratitude are life enhancing emotions, fill your days with as much love and gratitude as you can and you will see the amazing things life has to offer you. And remember, you are whole, beautiful and lovable just as you are.
Love and blessings,
Jackie