A lot of people think that being in love is the best feeling in the world. Sharing your life with another person, making plans for your future, and building your dreams together sounds blissful – almost like a fairy tale.

But did you know that falling in love doesn’t always mean developing romantic feelings towards another person? It could also mean falling in love with your self – your talents, aspirations, and full potential.

True enough, loving your own self is the greatest form of love.

I have read somewhere that “real love starts by loving and embracing who you are, because you cannot give what you do not have. To love others, you must love yourself first”.

This is a powerful quote that I applied in my own life. Why do we keep on searching for love in all the wrong places and persons?

Why are we so determined to be loved by someone? When in reality, we can love ourselves first and learn to be happy on our own.

And when we’re truly happy with ourselves, that’s how we realize the kind of person that’s right for us – someone who deserves our love. By loving ourselves first, we learn not to settle with just anyone.

 

How to Love Yourself More

Loving yourself doesn’t mean being conceited and self-centered. In fact, it’s the other way around. It’s when you aim to achieve a good character by focusing on your values and morals that you are able to appreciate yourself.

In the process, you also realize what truly matters in life and what makes a person beautiful.

 

Be kind and compassionate to others

Being kind to others and showing concern towards other people is one way of developing your morals and values as a person. Just imagine the immeasurable joy you’ll feel when you’re able to do something good to others.

Therefore, kindness and compassion are good traits that can help you align your perspectives about life and to live with purpose. And when you know that you have a purpose in this world, you learn to appreciate who you are and what you’re capable of.

 

Choose your battles

Avoid arguments, conflicts, and misunderstandings. You don’t have to show up in every battle just to drop a piece of your mind and aggravate the situation further.

To love yourself, stay away from all the negativities as much as you can. Choose peace, happiness, and positivity.

Choosing your battles doesn’t necessarily mean being weak or coward. It only means that you know which issues are worth your time and energy, and which ones are not.

 

 

Stay away from toxic people

Are there people in your life that have the ability to bring dark clouds to a rather good day? Are there people that tend to bring you down and give a lot of discouragements?

Stay away from them and don’t allow their toxicity get the best of you.

No matter how good you are, people will always have something to say. As my mother once told me; “you may be the ripest, sweetest, and juiciest peach in the world, but there will always be someone who hates peaches”.

So stay away from people that make you feel inferior, because no matter how much you try to not be affected by them, they can still distract you and make you lose your focus.

Other people that you should avoid are; pathological liars, those who like to make comparisons, and people that like to play victims to earn other people’s sympathy.

 

Spend time with yourself

Make good use of your time by taking care of your needs. Spend some time doing things you love and activities that make you feel good about yourself.

Some self-love activities you can try are; meditation and yoga, reading good books, watching movies, grooming yourself, and enjoying the outdoors while walking or running at the park.

You may also try to learn new things at home like (in my case); cooking healthy recipes, meal preparations for portion control, room/home decorating or make-over, and improving my pastry recipes through experiments.

 

Make daily affirmations

Remind yourself everyday that “you are enough and you have what it takes to succeed in life”. Focus on your good qualities, strengths, talents, and goals.

Tell yourself that you’re worthy to be loved and cared for, and you have so much love to give to others.

Making daily affirmations is a constant reminder of who you are, what you’re made of, and what you deserve in this life and from other people.

 

Don’t compare

Comparison can steal away your focus in life. It can strip away all the joy and appreciation you have in you. So don’t compare your life and what you have with others. Instead, learn to appreciate and make the most out of what you’ve got.

Remember that there will always be people who may seem to be far more successful, more beautiful, and way richer than you. But these things don’t make you less of a person. That’s other people’s lives; and you have your own life to live and improve.

Make it better and strive to find your own place under the sun. The world has a lot of opportunities for everyone as long as you’re willing to work hard and develop your potentials.

 

Don’t spend too much time on social media

Spending a lot of time in social media can waste your valuable time and energy. Don’t be absorbed by other people’s lives. Not all posts are true and sometimes, pictures mean nothing.

I always believe that we should all live a life that makes us feel good inside and not one that just looks good on the outside.

So whenever you post something, be sincere about it. Make your posts relevant, meaningful, positive, and less frequent, because not everyone would be interested.

The less you reveal, the more people can wonder about your personal life.