Love Yourself First
By Selena Richardson

Don't be afraid to fall in love with yourself. Don't be afraid to give yourself the love that you think you need from others. And this goes beyond taking care of yourself and pampering yourself from time to time.

I mean truly fall in love with you. The whole you - the good and the bad. Love the person you are, the person you have been and the person you can be. Show yourself unconditional love and gratitude for your gifts and your faults.

How can you expect someone else to love you unconditionally if you can't accept and love yourself the way you are? Yet we have this tendency to think that love from others is what validates us. No, it's the love you give yourself. The more love you give yourself the more you give to the world. It's all connected, we are all one.

Once you experience true unconditional love through yourself it becomes easier to show and spread that love to others. Even complete strangers and your enemies. Love is all there is.

If you love yourself unconditionally, someone else's harsh words can't affect you. Why? Because you know that those works are untrue and that those words were spoken from a place where love is not present.

Keep love present in your hear and soul at all times. Remember that love is everywhere and it starts with you. When you start emanating your love from within you start to receive it as well.

One of the keys to a healthy relationship and a happy life is expressing love for yourself first. And as I said before this goes beyond just taking time to pamper yourself - even though a good massage wouldn't hurt.

Loving yourself is all about taking care of yourself - mind, body and soul and appreciating who you are now, who you've been and who you can be. Loving yourself is about stopping the negative self talk and replacing those harmful words with beautiful, positive words. Loving yourself is about only accepting the best for yourself - about treating yourself like the royalty you are by respecting yourself and knowing that you are worthy of the best that life has to offer.

Treat yourself with love and respect, love yourself unconditionally and know that what you give will return to you multiplied. So give yourself love first and watch it grow and spread on to others.

C Copyright 2003

Selena Richardson, coach and editor of Creative Possibilities, a free newsletter helping people focus on and reach their goals. Are you ready to create your journey in life? Visit the site - http://www.creationjourneys.com for more information on her upcoming courses and on-going workshops.