“You’ve got to love yourself first. You’ve got to be OK on your own before you can be OK with somebody else. You’ve got to value yourself and know that you’re worth everything.” JLO

Learning to love yourself unconditionally can be one of the hardest things you ever do. To love yourself you have to be willing to put yourself first, above the needs and wants of others. For some, this form of love may feel selfish but soon you will realize that you cannot truly love and take care of others if you do not take care of yourself first.

You need to take the time to discover the things that make you happy and then commit to taking the time to do them. When we take the time to develop self-love you will no longer have to seek love and happiness through external sources which often lets us down. When you love yourself, you are the source of your happiness and life becomes more satisfying and fulfilling.

Here are 5 reasons you should love yourself unconditionally:

1. Love: Until you love yourself unconditionally it makes it hard to receive love. If you believe at your core that some parts of you are unlovable you will not let anyone else truly love you. You will always keep them at arm’s length out of fear of them finding out who you truly are. A lot of these beliefs can lie in our unconscious and we do not consciously know we are doing this, but this can destroy relationships. When you love yourself unconditionally you are better able to give and receive love with ease which allows you to flourish and thrive in your relationships.

2.  Self Confidence: Your confidence will increase as you will know you are capable of anything you put your mind to and if you fail it will be a learning opportunity not a personal flaw. You will no longer judge yourself but will trust in your abilities. You will no longer seek approval from others as you will realize confidence comes from within. You will have the ability to walk your own path and genuinely be you.

3.  Increased Opportunities: The world changes when you love yourself unconditionally, you will see it through a different lens. A lens of possibilities, opportunities, and optimism. You will be going through life from a place of true love and trust because you know you can count on yourself. You will not shy away from opportunities but will be ready to go after your goals. You will work harder and succeed more when you come from a place of unconditional love.

4.  Respect: You will have greater respect for yourself and those around you when you operate from a place of unconditional love. You will have greater boundaries and take better care of yourself which people are attracted too. You will have greater respect for your body which will make it easier to make healthier choices. You will eat better, sleep better and exercise more. Most importantly, when you respect yourself you won’t tolerate people to disrespect you or your time. Most people will not treat you better than you treat yourself.

5. Happiness: You will experience greater well-being and happiness when you love yourself unconditionally. Stress and anxiety will fall away as you believe and trust in yourself.  When you become an ally of yourself the world becomes a safer space where anything is possible, and things happen with greater ease. You will have greater overall health and happiness as you move through life.

Loving yourself unconditionally is not an easy task for many, but know it starts with a choice. You must choose to go on the journey to true unconditional self-love. Notice how you talk to yourself, and work to connect to a part of yourself that is compassionate. Become curious when the parts of yourself that resist unconditional love and love them too. Often the parts of us that put us down with shame and guilt are trying to protect us from failure and pain, but this is only because they have lost contact with who you truly are. Connect back to your true Self, your true center that is naturally made of unconditional love. When you are able to love yourself unconditionally your whole world will open up and you will receive all the love and acceptance that is your birthright.

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