It is not unusual for people to gift themselves with a variety of items. Regardless of the cost, gifts make you happy and make you feel appreciated. However, the best gift you can offer yourself is love. You do not have to wait for other people to love you before you learn to love yourself. Self-love is not just about buying expensive items for yourself; it involves loving and accepting who you are. It also means being comfortable in your own skin. Unfortunately, many people have a hard time accepting who they are. They instead focus on showing love to others and gaining acceptance from them. The truth is if you do not love yourself, it will be difficult for others to love you. Nobody can love you more than you love yourself. It feels good to be loved by others. But nothing feels better than the love you have for yourself. Telling yourself that you love being you does not make you immodest. True, you may have done things that you are not proud of, or certain horrible things may have happened to you, but self-love prevents you from condemning yourself and thinking that you deserve nothing good. When you love being you, you see yourself as a person who is worthy of good things, and you work towards them. If you do not love yourself, you may fail to see and appreciate the things you have in you and around you. Very often, individuals who do not love themselves doubt their own abilities and harshly criticize themselves when they fail. They only see the bad in themselves and exaggerate their weaknesses. With this type of attitude, you may not be able to form healthy relationships, make sound decisions and pursue your goals. Knowing and accepting yourself builds your confidence and self-esteem. Individuals who know their worth, do not compare themselves to other people neither do they feel the need to outshine or impress others. When you love being you, you will be comfortable with your looks, your abilities, and your achievements. This does not suggest that you should be static. There is always room for improvement. You can aim for more but appreciate what you have at present. Self-love creates a feeling of contentment and prevents you from being hard on yourself when your expectations are not met. For instance, if you set a goal and fail to accomplish it within the allotted time, you may feel disappointed in yourself. It is self-love that allows you to forgive yourself and move on. If you keep dwelling on your mistakes, you may begin to loathe yourself. And self-hate is disastrous. If you love being you, you will see the need to take care of yourself. Not only would you pay attention to your health, but you will also care about your physical appearance as well as the qualities you possess. Learn to make your needs a priority and do the things that make you happy. Embrace your physical flaws; they make you unique. Self-love is a prerequisite for success. It is only when you love yourself sincerely that you can make meaning out of your life. You cannot achieve your goals and impact positively in the life of others when you do not appreciate yourself. Learn to love yourself today; it cost nothing.
