life, philosophy, thoughts

Love Thyself

Lori

Lately, I’ve been thinking about self-love, and wondering how many people actually love themselves.

I recently realized I don’t always love myself, and it’s what brought on this blog. Perhaps it will help me to think this “out loud” on my blog and maybe get others thinking too.

I know for sure that I respect myself. I know what my core values are, and I will not compromise them. I know that even though I am willing to learn and grow, I accept myself for who I am in the moment. But, do I really love myself, and do I believe I deserve to be loved?

Do you believe you deserve to be loved?

We are given so many reasons to hate ourselves in the media. From what I see depicted, we humans are a racist, greedy, earth-killing breed. Do I really believe I am what the media has labeled me? Do others buy into the hype and think of people as “evil humans” who hate different races, are greedy and want to kill the earth? Can someone who believes this of others, really love themselves? If we believe such hateful things about humanity, then we likely see these things in everyone, including ourselves.

When something good happens for me, I wonder, who am I to deserve such a gift? We are also taught not to be conceited. If I love myself, does that mean I’m conceited? Is there a way to love ourselves humbly?

In the end, I think we’re all searching to be loved, and the less we love ourselves, the less likely we are to truly love others.

Going deeper into my faith, I’m reminded that I am made in the image and likeness of the Creator. This means, we’re all manifest from divine energy, which makes us lovable by nature. As long as I’m always doing the best I know in any given moment, why shouldn’t I love myself? Please to remind myself this when I’m chastising myself for something I don’t like about me.

Thank you for bearing with my rhetorical questions.

I offer these flower photos on this page to you readers, each of you are a unique, lovable vibrant colorful spirit.

colorful floral 2 wm

Published by Lori

Observer, thinker, learner, analyzer, and author. Love dogs. Enjoy cooking, laughing and spiritual centering.

18 thoughts on “Love Thyself”

  1. Love is the contrast and conflicts of our flesh.
    Love is the joy of encouragement, offered and/or received.
    Love is an eternal moment, a constant revelation, the majesty of creation, the joy and gift of times shared.
    Love is imminent, a perfect heart in an imperfect world, our greatest desire and our source
    Love is discipline, a promise kept, selflessness and daily surrender.
    Love is the pursuit of wisdom for the sake of love, a cool summer breeze, a shared sunset or sunrise and musing in the melancholy of inclement weather.
    Love is the reverence of our spirit savoring the perfume and senses of heaven in and on earth.
    Love is the manna of life, and Self-love is the acknowledgement, acceptance and faith of all.
    “God Is Love.”
    Press On Lori,

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  2. What a beautiful post. Self love and self nurture has been a vital part of my own journey back to wellness. That and better food choices, lots of water and plenty of magnesium.

    Love the flower images. Uplifting, gorgeous energy.
    Thank you
    xx

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    1. Thank you so much for reading it and for your nice comment. I’ve been having some health issues myself. Doctors have been testing everything, and I don’t know if they ever checked my magnesium level. Your mentioning it here got me to check symptoms of low magnesium and I have many of them. Thank you so much for stopping by and giving me another thing to check out. Blessings to you.

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  4. I really liked this post. How many of us truly love ourselves…and if we can’t love ourselves, can we love the rest of the world? I’ve heard it said that as we mature spiritually we learn to love ourselves and then something cracks open and we see the whole world as ourselves. (For other people, they learn to love the other and then the self cracks open and love pours in.) Sounds like love is the key, wherever it comes from. Thanks, Lori.

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    1. Great input, Kathy. I like this visual you presented. Sometimes I feel the love in meditation, but it’s ever so brief. Can’t clear my head long enough. Thanks for your comment and joining in on the dialogue.

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  6. Lori, the dialogue you have initiated (within yourself and among your readers) is so very important. The questions you have asked yourself were the same questions I asked myself when I began this journey of healing and self-realization. What I came to realize is that, by loving myself and having as much compassion for myself as I would anyone else, I am doing the right thing for everyone in my life.

    We cannot love anyone or anything the way we were intended to love until we learn to love ourselves. By loving ourselves, we establish boundaries that allow us to feel safe; we learn how to heal with the light that is within; we begin to choose happiness and to feel joy; we let go of the self-condemnation that breeds a form of sorrow that is contagious; and we learn how let go of fears that hold us captive. In short, it is “good” to love ourselves. Thanks for spreading the word!
    Blessings,
    Sloan

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    1. Thank you for such wonderful input, Sloan, and for reblogging my post. The thing is, I thought I loved myself because I respect myself. I’ve been pretty good at establishing boundaries and taking care of myself when necessary. But, just recently I realized I get mad at myself for not being able to put away negative thoughts, and for having anxiety (a lot of it lately). It’s the self-condemnation thing, I think, that made me realize I respected myself, but that didn’t necessarily mean ‘love.’ Great dialogue going. I appreciate it.

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  7. Lori, anything good and great that comes to us … we deserve !!!! And it comes to us because we are what we are. I love myself … very much, but not to 100 or 110% and neither every day, but in overall I know I’m a good person with a generous heart and soul. I love to spend time with myself .. do things when I want to and when I feel for it.
    When bad things happens and the do – of course I get upset and ask – why me ??? Why did I deserve to come done with cancer??? Funnily I never ask that question when something nice and pleasant happen to me.
    Truely great post and the flowers a wonderful frame to it.

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