Love Yourself First

This week as romance floats in the air along with Cupid’s arrows, most people aren’t thinking about self-love or self-care, but they should be.

If you’ve ever been on an airplane and watched the safety video, they stress the importance of taking care of yourself before you can help someone else. That logic applies to a broad range of situations and topics.

If you’re like me and the whole concept of self-love or self-care seems a bit challenging to grasp, think of it this way: self-love means giving yourself the what your body, mind, and soul needs to travel through life’s journey.

Self-love isn’t about having a big ego, thinking you are better than others, instant gratification or indulgences, or acting entitled.

It’s about being kind to yourself, nourishing your soul, and treating yourself with respect.

Think of someone you love, a dear friend you cherish, flaws and all. You wouldn’t belittle that person or nitpick at them. You wouldn’t harangue them over every mistake. You wouldn’t judge them or put them in situations that would harm them.

Self-love is just about extending that same level of care and kindness to yourself.

I love this quote from Dr. Brené Brown. For some of us, self-love is something we have to learn. And it isn’t an easy skill. One that we have to keep learning throughout our lifetime. But owning our story and loving ourselves through it (there is the key – loving ourselves through it) is one of the bravest things we can do.

During this month of love, I hope you’ll take some time to extend love to yourself, just as you would a treasured friend.