LOVE YOURSELF

“If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
— Rupaul

This might be a cheesy reference, but it’s all too accurate. It’s almost impossible to be in a relationship if you don’t love yourself. I don’t mean that you should be egotistical about how awesome you are, but you should always strive to take care of yourself and truly accept yourself—warts and all.

Everyone has problems with this at some point or another. We all have flaws and imperfections we wish would go away or neuroses we try to fix with years of therapy. While it’s great to try to constantly push yourself towards something better, you have to take time today to love who you are right in this moment. It can be so difficult when we compare ourselves to others, but remember that no one is perfect. We are all perfect in our imperfections, and as soon as you can embrace your own imperfections, you’ll have a much easier time embracing someone else’s quirks and neuroses.

It can be difficult to try to accept yourself and love everything about you, so try in small ways. This can mean simply taking care of yourself (and your body) by exercising and trying to eat right. Look in the mirror and eliminate the negative talk—pick something you love about yourself and focus on that.

Take time for yourself every day. This is especially difficult if you have many demands for your time and attention, but take some time out to do something you love—read a book, take a bath, cook yourself something you love, you name it. If you take care of yourself, you’ll have an easier time taking care of others and a relationship.

Let go of worry, forgive yourself, and trust yourself. Know that there are aspects of yourself you probably can’t change, but try to love those parts of you too because they make up who you are as a whole. The more you love yourself, the more love you can give.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”

— Oscar Wilde