Remember Puberty Blues? Even if you don’t, you’ll be familiar with the catty swipe thrown across the playground, one girl to the next – “YOU LOVE YOURSELF!”
It’s designed to insult, to hurt – and it does. It did. The denial couldn’t come fast enough… “No, I don’t!”
Right there, a belief is born. To love oneself is wrong.
How can we possibly create a genuine love for others (love, not envy), if we can’t create a love for ourselves?
Our lessons, habits, and beliefs have taught us to interpret loving ourselves as a bad thing – but have you ever stopped to question why? You’ve probably been too busy burying any shame that surfaced with the very concept.
We all suffer from internal conflict – some more frequently and acutely than others – and we all have moments of bad behaviour. Do you use those moments to love yourself regardless, or reinforce the belief adopted all those years ago?
You’re kind and compassionate to other people – family, lovers, friends, teammates, and even strangers – and now its time to experience that love for you.
My name is Suzy Jacobs and I love myself… most of the time. Occasionally I behave in a way that doesn’t reflect my best self and that’s precisely the moment I practice loving myself even more. Just because I do bad it doesn’t mean I AM bad.
I haven’t always felt that way. I’ve worked tirelessly to clear the obstacles and friction points, learning one choice at a time to love myself wholeheartedly.
So what is love?
It’s a question that has intrigued me for years. I’ve had relationships on a myriad of levels – mother, daughter, wife, girlfriend, lover, colleague, and friend. But how do I know if what I’ve felt along the way is love?
Well, after years of working to peel back the layers and reduce distractions; to explore feelings, filters, beliefs, judgments – all the things that get in the way of leading a life that I love – I figured something out.
Love is a knowingness of who you are. It’s a feeling that is so central and solid; one from which all things emanate. It’s the source of life. It’s an acceptance, gratitude, and a trust in who you are – and what your intention and your purpose is in life. Love presents you with such a deep sense of joy, peace, and calm.
This Valentine’s Day, take a moment to experiment with loving yourself.
If it feels awkward, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong; it’s simply unfamiliar. And if love is important to you, then it’s only a matter of practice.
Invest in yourself, reduce the distractions and remove the barriers, so that you can operate and feel the grandest, the most exquisite emotion of all; LOVE.
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Do you feel loved?
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Do you love life?
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Do you love working?
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Do you love your body?
Resist the temptation of distraction. Don’t wait for a ripple effect. Carve out time to love yourself. Create love and shine it on yourself. Invite love into your personal being and choose to start the ripple of love through yourself, your family, and your community.
I have the materials for you to shape into tools for your pursuit. But only you can identify your obstacles and clear your path to love.
Start your journey of exploration here: EmpowerMe
