This world is terrifying me. Everywhere I look, people are constantly running somewhere. It feels like we are living in a never-ending maze and none of us knows the way out. Somehow, we are always busy trying to catch that bus, seize that next good opportunity, finish everything in time, please everyone around us, meet our friends for drinks and so on.
And while we work hard to forge our own path in life and please everyone around us, we often forget about what’s good for us. We get so caught up in the daily routines that we forget to be nice to ourselves. We convince ourselves that we have the strength to do everything that we put our mind to, and we focus on everything else but ourselves.
Now, I’ve been down that road. I’ve been there for people more than I’ve been there for myself. Why? The old me would probably say that it was because of my kind heart and my urge to help others, but the new me would say that it was because I was foolish.
And she would be right.
Why?
Because LIFE IS SHORT, people. And because being kind to yourself is the most important thing that you can do to maintain your wellbeing and find your happiness. Remember that.
Here are 5 powerful ways that will help you master the art of self-love:
1. DO THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOUR SOUL FLOURISH
Look, I know it’s not really nice to bail on your friends when they call you up and invite you to for a night out. But, if you don’t feel like saying yes, then you shouldn’t do it.
If the only thing you want to do is stay at home and watch the new documentary on Netflix, you should do that. But you shouldn’t feel guilty about ditching someone.
You need to understand that taking care of yourself should be first on your priority list. And no, that is not selfish. It’s called self-care.
2. EMBRACE YOUR PAST AND LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
The truth is, we all carry our heavy emotional baggage. We’ve all made mistakes, we’ve all been broken, and we’ve all fought our own personal battle. Heck, some of us have never even ended that war. Bottom line, life is hard for every single one of us.
The thing that makes us different from each other is our response to life. Our approach to the emotional bag that we’re carrying. Remember, every experience in your life, no matter if it was good or bad, had a part in shaping you into the person you are. Don’t regret your past. Embrace it and let your mistakes teach you a lesson.
3. BE GRATEFUL ABOUT YOUR LIFE
It’s strange. As human beings we are given life to discover our purpose on Earth, to find happiness, to connect with our inner self, enjoy the preciousness and beauty of the present moment and yet somehow, we always feel as though something is missing.
We are presented with so many choices in life that after a while we forget to appreciate the things we have. We forget that life itself is the greatest blessing we will ever have.
Stop chasing happiness. Open your eyes and focus on the things that you have in your life. Count your blessings and be grateful for the opportunity to exist here at this moment.
4. GET RID OF THE THINGS THAT POISON YOUR SOUL
Look, you won’t find happiness if you keep holding on to people who are not worthy of your love. The same goes for every other part of your life. You will not find happiness until you get rid of every negative influence in your life.
If you are ready to finally start living your life, you need to detach yourself from everything that poisons your soul first. Don’t be afraid of losing people along the way, be afraid of losing yourself trying to please everyone.
5. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY
However, even though mental health should always be on top of your priority list, you should never ever forget about your physical wellbeing. Your body is your home. So, when you ignore its desperate cries for rest, care and love, it means that you don’t love yourself enough to allow yourself to grow.
Don’t hate yourself because of your imperfections. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are given this body and it is up to nurture it until the rest of your life.
At the end of the day, you are the only person that you can truly rely on. As sad as that sounds, that’s the truth. In a world full of fake values, the least you can do for yourself is to learn to love yourself.
