The Top 6 Things U Need 2 Know 2 Love Yourself w/ Some Detail on #1
When I revealed the 5th Secret, that Life is All About Love, one of my next posts talked about loving yourself as the first step to loving others. I realize, however, that it’s easy to say “Love Yourself” as if loving yourself is obvious and easily accomplished but it’s not. In fact, many many many adults don’t love themselves (I’m sure you’ve met some of them) which has led to a lot of the problems here on this planet but I digress.
Anyway, I thought I’d actually give you some concrete steps on how to love yourself to make it a little easier to understand and undertake. I’ll give them to you all here so you don’t have to wait for them to be revealed but I hope you’ll come back for a more in depth discussion of each one.
Here’s the cheat sheet.
In order to love yourself you need to:
1. Know yourself.
2. Be true to yourself.
3. Accept yourself.
4. Be gentle with yourself.
5. Value yourself.
6. Invest in yourself.
Let’s talk about #1. Know yourself. (Or you can say “Know Thyself.” if you want to sound all philosophical and what not.)
It sounds pretty obvious to say “Know Yourself” because you are YOU so you must know who you are right? Well, it turns out it’s not that simple. As a teen there are tons of pressures coming at you from all sides so knowing who you really are and what you really want can get sort of confusing. To be honest, adults would like you to believe that they know exactly who they are and while it’s true that some might, many adults are influenced by the same pressures you are, they just don’t like to admit it. That doesn’t mean you need to suffer the same fate. In fact, your teens are an amazing time to start figuring out who you really are deep down inside. And, if you have the courage to start expressing yourself while you’re young, your adult years are going to be SO much easier. Trust me on this.
Ask yourself these questions when considering whether you really know yourself:
Do you know who you really are deep down inside or do you know who everyone else wants you to be?
Are you making choices and decisions based on what’s best for you or are you doing what someone else wants you to do?
What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you/make fun of you/laugh at you?
Are you pursuing your dreams or someone else’s dreams?
These aren’t easy questions to ask and they’re even harder to answer honestly but that doesn’t mean you should run away from them. The answers will help to clue you in on whether you are honoring who you are deep down inside.
The one thing that will never steer you wrong is your gut instinct. So, if you find yourself making a decision that just does not feel right deep down, it’s not right for you. If you find yourself agreeing to do something that makes you feel icky inside, it’s not the right decision for you. Follow your gut.
Take some time to get to know and appreciate you. It’s a key step to loving yourself and I guarantee you’re going to find somebody pretty amazing in there. After all, I think you’re amazing and I’m never wrong about anything (at least that’s what I tell my husband and teenager.)
“Knowing who you are is the best defense against who they think you are.” ~Dodinsky
“We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.” ~Mary Dunbar
The Secret Handbook 4 Teens 