"And if I asked you to name all the things that you love, how long would it take for you to name yourself?"
Loving yourself is such an important thing. It might seem obvious, but do you really love yourself? Do you value yourself and see how incredible and unique you are? Do you recognise your self-worth and appreciate just how amazing you are?
Not loving yourself is actually many people's biggest hindrance in being their true self and excelling in what they do. This is certainly the case with the majority of my clients, and a lot of the work we do together is on self-love, self-esteem and self-worth. Yes, diet is important, exercise is important, having interests is important, meditation is important, having people love you is important, but loving yourself - that's where it all begins!
And I've certainly been there. If I could travel back in time and meet my younger self, one of the first things I'd say to myself is: "GURRRRRL love yourself! Know your worth. You are awesome, and unique. Go forth and excel as the amazing person you are. You are allowed to be yourself and enjoy life."
Affirmations are a great way to work on loving yourself and improving your sense of self-worth and self-value. And you can start straight away.
There are many different ways to use affirmations. You can write them down for each day, you can say them out loud before having your morning coffee, you can write them on your bathroom mirror or even put them as notifications on your phone for a regular reminder.
You can make up your own affirmations, but here are some to inspire you:
I love myself
I love my life
My life is perfect
I am perfect
I am perfect in my imperfections
I am worthy and deserving of love and respect
It's safe for me to be myself
It's safe for me to excel as my true self
I am fantastic
I am forever evolving
So, to paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, to go confidently in the direction of your dreams and to live the life you've imagined, you must start with loving yourself. There's no time like the present, so start now - and remember: you are unique, amazing and worthy of love. Not just from others, but also from yourself.
Let me know how you get on!
xo Bee