Invest in your relationship with yourself

We all have a tendency to prioritize others before ourselves, yet this can lead to neglecting the relationships we have with ourselves. Allow me to be your advocate and show you how to treat the most important person in your life in a kinder, gentler manner.

The first step to restoring balance is to sit down and evaluate your relationship with yourself. Are you practicing self-love or self-hatred?

1. Take the time to really focus on your faults and mistakes. Be honest about your shortcomings. Our desire to play the victim can lead us to justify our mistakes and make excuses for why we did not do things right. You cannot control what others do to you, but you can control what you do to yourself. Remember that everyone you encounter in this life has flaws. Be gentle and understanding with yourself, understanding that they have also made mistakes. You will find that by being open and vulnerable with yourself you will experience a greater sense of compassion for others.

2. Focus on your character and what you have to offer the world. Self-care is extremely important and often overlooked. In today's society, we do not focus on our needs enough, and if we do not first nurture our own well we cannot be compassionate with others. Keep reminding yourself that you are a person of worth and have value. Remember that you are a child of God and you have a divine purpose. You are beautiful and special in ways that you may have yet to discover.

Your character is defined by what you do, how you interact, how you give of yourself, and how you love. How you treat others, how you respond to negativity, and the actions you take as a result of your mistakes are all reflected in how you treat yourself. It is important to remind yourself that no one will judge you unless you allow them to. You are the only person in this world that you need to be your own best friend.

3. Learn to love and appreciate yourself. Spend time focusing on who you are and not just what you look like or what others think of you. Spend time alone doing what you enjoy. Make time for those who support and inspire you to do what makes you feel beautiful, empowered, and alive. The beauty of facial appearance is not what makes a person beautiful; it is how they treat others and how they approach the world. Take time to smell the roses and focus on the things that make you feel good.

Appreciating yourself also means giving yourself the best treatment that you give others. Set boundaries and hold yourself to a higher standard. You are deserving of better than what you have been getting, and if you want to feel better than you are now, you are the one to put yourself on the path. Don't settle for the status quo. Love yourself enough to give yourself the best and be proud of who you are.

4. Don,t play with your health. Be mindful of the foods you put into your body, how much exercise you engage in, and your activities. Learn to eat healthily and stay active. Exercise plays a huge role in helping people to feel better, yet often people put it off due to the guilt they feel about neglecting their well-being. You don't have to feel guilty at all, you can begin exercising from today. I can guarantee you that by making a commitment to exercising regularly you will feel better.

Start with a simple walk out for a few kilometers walk daily. You will feel better after that. The more you do the easier it becomes. Next, pick a time of day (this may be the most important part for many of us) and walk or jog for 20 minutes daily. It will get easier after that. Just start with short walks for a few minutes each day. Make this time important. The more you exercise, the more you will begin to enjoy it and feel good.

5. Your attitude is the best gift you can give to yourself. Do not hold a grudge against yourself or others. Everything we do or say creates energy in the universe, and when you are feeling negative you are sending out negative vibrations that create a feedback loop, never good for your health and spirit. You can control your thoughts and your thoughts are a form of energy. If you want to feel good about yourself, first think positively of yourself.

Our ability to make conscious choices can have a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves and how we experience life. Don't believe the lie that you are not worthy of love and happiness. Instead, put yourself out there and show others that you are capable of happiness. Embrace who you are and allow yourself to be the best person that you can be.

Bottom line

Self-love is a process that requires intention, consistency, dedication, perseverance, focus, and commitment. It is not easy, and there will be failures, but that is not the end of the world. No matter what choices we make in life, we have the power to change the situation and the direction we are heading. Self-love requires the ability to self-affirm and self-fulfill. It also requires true knowledge of the truth about ourselves and self-awareness. We have to be willing to open our minds and hearts to accept who we are and how we are feeling, not just in the moment but all the time.

True self-love requires us to accept who we are and to love and accept ourselves and others. Poor self-love results in poor self-esteem, a poor sense of self-worth, a lack of emotional connection and intimacy, and a feeling of emptiness and abandonment. There is no one-size-fits-all prescription for how to get there. Self-love is a process that requires a commitment to self-affirmation, and you will encounter setbacks and disappointments along the way.

You are worthy of your own respect and love. Be proud of who you are and who you are becoming. Celebrate yourself and don't be ashamed of who you are. Don't feel bad about having feelings or being human, that is what the human experience is all about. Trust yourself to make the right decisions for yourself and your family. In the end, it is your life, live it for yourself and don't give it to someone or something else to care about.