It is amazing to me how many times I have heard this, but never really took the time to think about what it truly means. Often times, we associate loving yourself to being conceited. So what does it truly mean to love yourself?

To me, loving yourself means accepting yourself for everything that you are. Accepting the things that you can’t change about yourself, and learning to appreciate those things. Loving yourself means acknowledging your flaws and telling yourself that these, too, are kind of incredible, and that without them, you would not be you. Seems easy right?

It’s not easy, but it’s possible to truly love yourself for who you are. As soon as we learn to love ourselves, we will begin to love others more. There isn’t a reliance on your partner for your ultimate happiness, fulfillment, and security. You aren’t competing with your significant other and jealousy seems to disappear. The minute we decide to love ourselves, is the minute we can begin to truly love others.

More importantly, when we learn to love ourselves, we realize what love we deserve. When you know that you are worth more, that you are worth the best love, then all the toxic relationships you have or had will no longer be an option for you. Your decisions will reflect the respect you are giving yourself. You will start thinking of the betterment of you, not how to fit in or be accepted by people that don't deserve you. This humble confidence is attractive and people will be drawn to your presence, because no longer are you worried about your ego and security, you are now free to give real love to others. And amazingly enough, when you love yourself and care for yourself, it is so much easier for others to love and care about you. Not a lot of people can care about someone's well being when that person doesn't care to do what is best for them.

I’ve seen the result of friends not loving themselves, and it’s heartbreaking. I have seen good friends not let the people who truly care about them in because in their mind, they don’t deserve it. This is why it’s important to want what’s best for you. Not only will loving yourself benefit you, but it benefits the people who see you for how amazing you truly are.

Everyone deserves love, and everyone deserves to be loved by themselves. God made us human. And humans are flawed. It's okay to try and change the flaws that are destructive, and those that are not, try to just accept them. God did not make us to judge ourselves. God put us on this earth to love others, and we are more likely to love others if we love ourselves. So in reality, if we are loving ourselves, we are pleasing God. It breaks his heart when we criticize something he created. If an all-perfect God can love us through all of our faults, then why can’t we love ourselves?

So, next time you look in the mirror and aren’t satisfied with what you have been given, think of how much you are loved by others and Him, and know that what they see, is the truth, and you are only seeing what you are allowing yourself to see. Accept the compliments you are given, realize that you deserve respect and love from everyone, and give yourself the love others give you, because that will give you a happiness that is irreplaceable. Loving yourself does not mean arrogance or pride, it means accepting yourself and seeing yourself through your loved one’s eyes, because in the end the only thing that is going to matter, is how much you loved and how gently you lived. And this includes yourself.