What is Self-Love?

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When I saw this prompt, the first question that popped in my mind was…

What's even the definition of love?

As simple and sweet as this 4-lettered looks and sounds, so many people don't really know it’s true meaning.

The holy book(Bible) defines it as…”Love is patience. Love is kind…” (I can’t remember the rest. Lol.)

But this will serve the purpose of this article.

Now that we know the definition of love,

The next big question is…

What's self love?
Simple!

It’s being patient with yourself…being kind to yourself.

Now for most(myself included) we tend to be so hard on ourselves that it becomes difficult to truly love ourselves…even though we think we do.

Self-love is not just a fleeting emotion or a passing trend; it is a deep-rooted appreciation and acceptance of oneself, flaws and all. It is a journey of self-discovery, self-compassion, and self-respect.

For me, self love is among the greatest forms of love. Second only to the Love of God!

You can't love others properly if you don't love yourself enough!

...can't give what you don't have.

I used to be really skinny. That alone has done serious damage on my self esteem.

I felt insecure whenever I was around my peers.

My relationships suffered!

It even worsen my overthinking problems!

But soon enough, I learnt a trick from Brian Tracy.

He said “Think on Paper”.

Instead of putting my hands on my chin and drowning myself into an endless pool of thoughts, I wrote them down.

And soon I got clarity!

What was my problem?
Too skinny.

Is there a solution?
Yes

What was it?
adding some body mass.

How will this be possible?
eating well/healthy and lifting some weights

BOOM!

That was it!

Long story short, it’s been almost 3 years of body building.

Though there have been lots of inconsistencies(story for another day…lol)

I’m not as muscular as I'd hoped to be…yet

but I’m definitely not skinny anymore.

Hitting the gym has helped me love my body. And watching my body grow made me realize I could be more(not just physically) if I set my heart to it.

Through weight lifting, I have learnt resilience. Allowing me to approach challenges with a resilient mindset and a belief in my own abilities.

Another activity that has helped me to love myself more is reading.

Reading has helped expand my understanding.

It has made me knowledgeable in vast topics. I can conveniently and intelligently contribute to any conversation I find myself in.

This has made people want to talk to me. And man…at this point, my confidence is over the roof!

I tell you, the feeling is out. Of. This. World!

I’ll like to conclude this way… self-love is not a destination but a lifelong journey—one that is marked by growth, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of self-acceptance.

If you struggle to love yourself truly, then you gotta do two things.

Accept the things you can’t change about you.
And

Change the things you can’t accept about you.

Hope this makes sense!

Ciao!