I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “You can’t love someone without loving yourself," and even if you haven’t, you should really look into the reasons and ways to love yourself before you can ever love another in a healthy, communicative relationship. You need to know what you love about yourself first. Whether it’s your perfect fashion sense, glossy hair, or hilarious sense of humor, you should love and be comfortable in your skin before anyone can love the same great things about you. So, I’ll start you off with a few different reasons and ways to love yourself!
1. Admire Your Quirks
Do you like to put ketchup on your pizza? Or have a dislike for matching socks? Or are you (like me) so fluent in sarcasm that people can’t tell if you’re serious or not? Well, those are the things that make you, you! The little weird quirks are a big part of you, and if you learn to love them as one of many ways to love yourself, you definitely won’t be embarrassed or ashamed of them if your lover sees them for the first time. And, if it turns out he or she doesn’t like them, then it’s their loss. See, loving yourself first helped you dodge a major bad relationship bullet!
2. Adore Your Intelligence
You don’t ever want to have to play dumb to get the guy or girl you want. If he or she doesn’t like the fact that you have a good head on your shoulders then he’s definitely not the one for you! Improving your education and knowing that you can accomplish what you want in life because you’re smart and well-rounded are all good ways to love yourself. You know that you’re not someone who can easily be taken advantage of. So, love your intelligence, and someone worthy of your knowledge will surely take notice.
3. Cherish Your Confidence
Though not everyone is super confident, I believe we all have it in us to look past the negative notions about ourselves, and focus on the positives. Are you a good cook? Can you figure out ridiculously hard math equations? There is always something--even if you have a hard time believing so--that you are proud of. Use that to fuel your confidence. Other people can sense insecurity and will prey on it. Don’t give them that chance! Be confident and love who you are, then there's a good chance you won’t become someone's doormat in the future.
4. Appreciate Your Appearance
While it’s true that family members resemble each other, no two people look exactly alike. And guess what? You should be proud of that! No one could have the same petite nose, full lips, bountiful bosoms, or long legs as you, and that’s something you have to realize. No, you’re not going to be absolutely in love with every single feature on your face, or every crevice on your body. But, it’s important to be comfortable in it! Any person you think you’re going to fall in love with or have a relationship with obviously loves the way you look, but you have to see that too. Or again, you’d end up in a position where the other person has power because of your insecurities.
5. Treasure Your Creativity
Do you enjoy writing poems or short stories? Are you a DIY maven, ready to take on any project? Are you a fearless, fierce performer? Try to think of ways in which you exhibit your creativity. Creativity is such an amazing thing because it lets you see how others’ minds work. You get to see how unique your creativity is and spread that wonderfulness to the world. Appreciate and love that uniqueness! I’m pretty sure that special someone would be impressed by it!
6. Pursue Your Passion
Have you always wanted to do something, but everyone around you told you that you couldn’t? Well, don’t let that nonsense get to you! Follow your passion, because most often, it is the deepest, truest part of you. If you pursue your passion, you’re doing something you truly enjoy. It’s so fulfilling and definitely helps you love yourself because you’re doing what’s best for you and makes you happy. No one else should dictate that! [ read: Girls Just Want to have fun. ]
7. Reflect on Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. I don’t think anyone is immune to them. But, the key to not being a repeat-offender is to reflect on what went wrong. If you assess what happened, and learn from it, you’ll have less regrets, and less reasons to feel bad about yourself. The goal is to love every part of you, so even loving the lessons you learned from mistakes is a good thing! If you are comfortable and honest with the mistakes you made, chances are your significant other won’t mind much either. [ read: common mistakes women make when trying to attract men. ]
That popular saying is nothing less than the truth. Loving yourself before you get into a relationship is the only surefire way of you knowing your own self-worth and what you mean to the world. Hope these tips/reasons and ways to love yourself have been helpful, y’all! Are there any tips you guys have on ways to love yourself before you can love someone else?