Do you know the difference between Self-care and self-love?
Why is self-love important, and why should you care?
How do you practice self-love in your life?
I want to dive a little into self-love and how I got here.
We as women often believe the myths about self-love and then cheat ourselves out of loving ourselves deeper and authentically.
Do any of these myths resonate or feel familiar to you?
- You should love yourself already.
- It’s easy and natural.
- Once you practice self-love, life will be perfect.
- People frown upon the idea of self-love, believing that it is selfish, arrogant, or vain.
- You must have it all together if you practice self-love.
But the truth is, self-love is about the INTERNAL YOU, your very being as a human from the inside.
Accepting YOU for who you are. It’s not about trying to be perfect or looking like you have it all together.
I did not fully understand this concept until a few years ago. Honestly, I wasn’t accepting of myself, so I didn’t think about loving myself.
I remember the day I read a post on Facebook. The writer talked about learning to love herself and be open to accepting herself. As I sat there and read the post, tears started to flow. I cried and cried. I was finally able to release deep, unsettled emotions. That feeling of openness expanded through me, and from that moment on, I knew I needed to pursue a new path.
It wasn’t easy, but learning to be intentional and slowly change how I saw myself took practice. Some days are harder than others, but the genuine feeling of ACCEPTANCE is my true gift to MYSELF.
Self-love is internal. Self-love is your essence of being.
SELF-LOVE IS:
Acceptance
- for who you are (not just the you now but your past self)
- that life has and will never be perfect
Mindfulness
- being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and your bodies sensations in the present moment.
Gratitude
- a feeling of appreciation for what you have now and what you have experienced in your life
Self-compassion
- being kind and forgiving to yourself
- talking to yourself with/about yourself without criticism or judgment.
Assertiveness
- speaking up and setting boundaries for yourself
With consistent work and coaching, I’ve come full circle, loving the woman I am today.
What do you do for yourself? I would love for you to share with me in the comments.
Thank you for being here with me today. I hope this post inspired you to embrace self-love and acceptance. If you’re interested in getting more personalized coaching and support on your self-love journey, email me at teresa@designanewvision.com. I’m looking forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve your goals.
Teresa
WWW.DESIGNANEWVISION.COM