Loving Yourself First

Who is the person you spend the most time with?  Maybe it’s a parent, or a friend, or a pet. Think again! The answer is yourself. No one spends as much time with you, as you. That’s why it is so important to take care of yourself and to learn and grow everyday. It is so important to love yourself first. I know, it sounds cliché, but it is so true.

 You cannot fully and completely love others, if you do not love who you are.

It is so easy to try to fill yourself up with others' approval or attention. But it isn’t up to others to love you. If your security is found in others' opinions or actions, you will never be content.  In the end, learning to meet your own needs whether that be physically, mentally, or spiritually is important, because no one else is going to do it for you.

Let me tell you a secret. Someone who loves themselves first is someone who is confident. Confidence is a trait that is attractive. A confident person is someone who is not afraid to be themselves and they are not afraid to be honest about who they are, flaws and all. Confident people are not perfect, but they accept who they are, and don’t let others opinions affect them. Don’t these all sound like admirable traits?

The phrase loving yourself first can sound intimidating, maybe even a little selfish. It's actually the opposite. When you are completely whole, you will have more love that spills to others. You will be more kind and more generous. A healthy relationship consists of two whole people coming together to build one another up, encourage each other and support each other. And if that isn't enough reason to start loving yourself more, then I don't know what is.