If you’ve been struggling with self-love, this post is for you! We hear the term “self-love” all the time, but is it ever really explained? And how can we love ourselves if we don’t first understand love? This post is all about self-love and what it means to love yourself!
Self-love…what is self-love? It’s a term that’s used so frequently these days, but what does it actually mean to love yourself? I’d say that the true meaning of “self-love” has less to do with loving yourself, and more to do with becoming love itself. You see, I think a lot of people have misconstrued the definition of love. Love has no opposite. You cannot truly love someone one minute and then hate them the next. If you experience those feelings, it couldn’t have been love to begin with. Not true love. I like the Bible’s definition of love and although I’m not religious, I am spiritual and find much truth in these verses. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV). You see, spiritual love is unconditional. And anything that contributes to you embodying or operating in this degree of love is an act of self-love.
Self-love brings you back to yourself, your spirit, your home. It isn’t a simple task or activity, but the feeling those tasks or activities generate. When you feel true, unconditional love for yourself, THAT is self-love! Loving yourself equals accepting yourself. It equals forgiving yourself. It equals being patient with yourself through all of life’s trials and tribulations. It equals respecting yourself; setting boundaries and maintaining them. It equals taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It equals being there for yourself when you need it the most. It equals speaking kindly to yourself, (even in your head). It equals removing yourself from toxic situations and people that drain you. And it equals healing. Loving yourself equals the courage it takes to dig deep into your most painful experiences and transmute them into love.
Self-love isn’t something we do, it is something we embody. While there are multiple tasks and activities that can nourish our souls and sense of self-love, which will be included in another post, it’s important to understand that the feeling is more important than the task being completed. I wish you all the best of luck in learning how to truly love yourselves!
(RELATED POST: 11 Self-Care Ideas That Will Help You Love Yourself More)
Itís hard to find well-informed people on this subject, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
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