Can you truly look in the mirror and recognize and appreciate the person you see? You should be able to realize your beauty, your worth, that you are special. You can’t admire everyone else and despise yourself, no matter what has happened to you. I was inspired to write this post from a blog i read, i summed it up to seven things to help you love & appreciate yourself.

1. If you really want to love yourself, first you gotta stop comparing yourself to others and realize God made you the way he felt you should be.

Embrace the real you. God made some of us big boned, thin, athletic builds, pear shapes, etc. Don’t compare…just be the best you, you can be. Be the best big boned you, you can be. You can’t enjoy your life envying someone else’s. No one can take your place. Please remember that. As you stop comparing and appreciate what you have and who u are, you’ll attract more positive people and situations into your life. You’ll attract people that love you for who you are. Only when you stop comparing yourself to others can then you then begin to love yourself.

2. You have to stop seeking approval.

I’ve come to discover that when you continuously seek approval from others to validate your own self worth, you’re simply damaging your relationship with yourself. Stop seeking approval by being something you’re not to be loved by someone. If someone can’t love you for who you are, they don’t deserve to be in your life. I don’t care who it is. It’s time for you to be happy…and you can’t be happy living for everyone else but YOU. When you have an unhealthy relationship with “I”, you attract unhealthy relationships with others. So until you start loving you, you’ll settle for negative people who don’t have your back for the sake of not being lonely. Enough is enough.

3. Next, you have to believe in yourself.

To fully experience what it means to live, you must have a confidence in all you do, even during the times in which you come up short. Believing in yourself can be hard at times, especially when nothing seems to be going right, but it is during those times that you need your own love the most. The wonderful thing about believing in yourself is that you are the only one responsible. You don’t need a stamp of approval before you can to begin to have faith in yourself. Trust in your judgment and know that through both the good and bad you are good enough and you are worthy.

4. Forgive Yourself

I know people who have carried their mistakes with them their entire life, and as result they remain unhappy at the core. I know what it’s like to make a mistake and feel like you shouldn’t be forgiven, but that kind of thinking is nonsense. There is no action not worthy of forgiveness. Forgiveness may take time, but don’t look back at your mistakes as fatal flaws you must fix, instead choose to embrace them completely as the whole person you are. Forgiving yourself for your mistakes and shortcomings can be difficult and does take practice, but it remains essential in loving yourself fully.

5. Give yourself some ‘Me Time’

I feel it’s important to make time for you and just practice silence and self reflect. Some of my happiest moments have occurred when I’m simply sitting in silence by myself. While I can be a very social person at times, I also have to have my alone time. For me, this sometimes means meditation, prayer, worship, or sometimes I’ll just go for a long walk or go to the bookstore and just chill. Practicing silence allows for you to get a glimpse of the person you really are. I know the act of spending time alone may not qualify as love for some people, but I feel I’m most connected with myself spiritually when I’m still. You owe it to yourself to be silent at least once a day.

6. U have to take care of your body through eating healthy and exercising.

Part of loving yourself is allowing your body to be in its top form. An occasional indulgence in alcohol or some fast food isn’t the end of the world but making a habit of destroying your body is. Many don’t realize, but your relationship to your physical body and mind is very important. Truly loving yourself means that you take care of your body and do everything you can to keep it in good shape, both physically and mentally. Don’t expect to have a good relationship with yourself if you abuse the machine consistently.

7. Use your gifts/talents

One of the greatest ways you can love yourself is to express your gifts, whatever they may be. Finding and honing your brilliance is a way to reveal what it is that makes you remarkable. Do you enjoy writing? Share your stories with the world. Do you like to draw? Paint until your heart’s content. Do you like helping people find their purpose? Do so by connecting with as many people as you can. It doesn’t matter what your passions are, express them to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, some people chose not to express their talents and passions because they feel as if they might get ridiculed or made fun of. But the reality is, failing to express you is failing to love yourself. Loving yourself comes down to expression.

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