What is 'Self-love'?
Peace inside, peace in mind.
The quote came to my mind while I was writing my Morning Pages this morning, and it perfectly reflects how I feel about my life now. Ah, this quote came because I was thinking about 'self-love.'
'Self-love' has been the topic and theme I've been working on for myself, and also the content of my journal book that I developed a year ago (which is not yet finished). How time flies!
When I developed the content for 'self-love,' I was still very clumsy and always felt like I couldn't put it all together. What should I say about self-love? Most importantly, how can I guide people to love themselves more, with the power of true self-love?
Maybe at that time, I didn't really understand what 'self-love' truly is, and because of that, my expression acouldn't be at its best. I understand it better now, realizing that this broad concept is a felt sense, and everyone perceives 'self-love' in various ways. Whatever way it might be, to me, self-love has two fundamental aspects:
- Understanding who we are and our values (Authenticity)
- Having a clear vision about who we want to become and our dreams/passion (Purpose)
These two aspects become the premise for us to thrive and stand strong as who we are, truly be ourselves, no matter where and under any circumstances. They become our roots and foundation that can shield us from others' criticism and judgment. We are happy with the person we are and proudly say to ourselves, "This is me. This is who I am," without hesitation.
When we are happy with ourselves, we remove the need to be acknowledged or compare ourselves to peers. And it just feels so great. Like a flower showing its beauty in a garden without comparing itself to many beautiful flowers nearby. It knows. It knows that each has its uniqueness and bright sides. They all shine and bloom, in their own ways. It just blooms.
[REFLECTION PROMPTS]
What does ‘self-love’ mean to you?
How much do you love yourself?
Are you struggling to put yourself a priority?
What is your daily self-care plan?
How do you carve time to spend time with yourself more everyday?