17 Ways to Love Yourself

How To Love Yourself In 17 Ways
by Evelyn on March 20, 2008

I’ve compiled a list on how to love yourself for readers who are facing difficulty knowing what to do in boosting their own self esteem. When I first began to be aware that I need to love myself first, before I can develop any meaningful relationships with others, I realised that I did not know where to start.

This was a surprise to me then as I would have thought I’d be an expert on love and relationships by then. After all, as I recalled, in my younger days, I’ve spent much time looking for the best spouse or romantic partner. But I soon realised that my search was meant to fill the void or emptiness I had inside. Finding a good relationship with myself seemed to be an even harder task! However, as things turned out, I realised that I failed miserably in my early relationships because I had insufficient or little self love.

If you’ve suffered from low self esteem, then it goes to show that you are lacking in self love. You may even find it difficult to even search your heart for that little bit of love you have for yourself. I dare say that your mind has been so ingrained with self sabotaging thoughts for the longest time, that loving yourself sounds unnatural to you.

However, nothing is going to happen if you do not make a conscious decision. And that includes Attracting Abundance. When you don’t love yourself, you are basically telling the Universe that you are unworthy or undeserving of any love or positive outcomes that have the same vibrational match as love.

Learning to love yourself starts with making a conscious decision, an intention to become happy and lead a fulfilled life. When you do not love yourself and suffer from low self esteem, you can find that it impossible to ever reach the potential that you suspect you have.

“Love yourself first and everything falls into line.”
Lucille Ball quotes (American radio and motion-picture actress and comedy star, 1911-1989)

When you make a decision to love yourself, you are really saying that you want to come alive. You accept that you are responsible for the outcomes that you experience in your life and would like yourself to shine from living a fulfilling life.

So if you’ve decided on loving yourself but are as equally stumped on how to love yourself, as I was back then, here are 17 ways which I believe can be helpful:

1. Fall in love with yourself. Think about what makes you You. Just like a flower that needs watering to grow, learn to nurture yourself in every way. Love yourself for all the good that you see and accept your flaws and the fact that you are imperfect. This does not meant that you do not learn to change from your shortcomings; instead, you are being gentle and kind to yourself for all your flaws. Look in the mirror and fall in love with the reflection that is You.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”
Oscar Wilde quotes (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

2. Eliminate Self Criticism. Do you often berate yourself over the tiniest thing? Is there a little voice inside your head that often tells you that you are no good because you are stupid or make mistakes. If you find that you criticise yourself often, make an effort to stop the self criticism.

“I CAN is 100 times more important than IQ.” — unknown

3. Be Kind And Positive. When you start to think kindly and positively about yourself, the love you have for yourself just grows. Make it a habit to praise yourself everyday, while in the front of the mirror. Because of such thoughts, you naturally undertake empowering actions that support your development.

4. Acknowledge Your Effort. It’s not always about winning or having success in everything that you do. Many times, it is the effort that counts! Acknowledge that you’ve done your best, even if you have failed to produce tangible results.

Bring Your Dreams to Life!
Just released - The Dream Manifestation Wizard. A powerful software that uses a quantum approach to help you manifest all your dreams. Download your copy here.


5. Let Go Of Worry. Loving yourself requires you to let go of your worry. It is a horrible way to live a life filled with constant worrying. I can attest to that! Worry does not help in any way. It cannot, on its own, make things happen. Only wise actions can! So instead of worrying, spend time thinking about what you can do to help in the situation. If the situation is beyond your control, then ask the Universe for your desired outcome and let things work out on their own. Things will come to be, if they are meant to be.

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” — Epictetus quotes (Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics, AD 55-c.135)

6. Trust Yourself. Have confidence in your abilities. Know that you have the ability to make important changes for yourself, for as long as you put your heart to it. You can also support yourself by visualizing desired outcomes.

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”
Benjamin Spock quotes (American Pediatrician and Author, 1903-1998)

7. Forgive Yourself. If you have made mistakes in the past that had caused you to feel less worthy, then you need to forgive yourself. All of us make mistakes; so there really is no need to beat yourself up over them. Or if you’ve been carrying around a baggage of emotional hurt because of a childhood trauma, learn to forgive yourself that it is not your fault.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
Lewis B. Smedes quotes

8. Be Truthful To Yourself. Loving yourself requires you to be truthful about your own feelings. If you are happy, acknowledge the joy. If you are sad, acknowledge the sorrow. When you are truthful about your feelings, you do not try to lie to yourself or seek to bury your negative emotions. Instead, acknowledging what you feel provides a good guide to what your thoughts are. And as we all know, thoughts can be changed, so that healing and self growth can take place.

9. Grow Spiritually. When you spend time growing spiritually, loving yourself is an automatic thing. You become more peaceful, connected, kind, loving and compassionate. You nurture a mind that grows more beautiful by the day. How to not love yourself in the process?

10. Make Positive Affirmations Everyday. Post affirmations that can help raise your self esteem everyday. For instance, say this to yourself “I love and accept myself completely and unconditionally.” Read your affirmations out loud several times a day.

11. Express Gratitude. Express gratitude for the person that you are. For instance, cultivate an appreciation for your strengths and gifts. Also, feel a sense of gratitude that you are alive and well, and fully capable of making a difference in your life.

Bring Your Dreams to Life!
Just released - The Dream Manifestation Wizard. A powerful software that uses a quantum approach to help you manifest all your dreams. Download your copy here.

12. Nurture Your Dreams. Why deny yourself your dreams? When you nurture your dreams, you would love the life that you are leading. Every moment that you live is a joy because you are expressing yourself fully.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. —Mark Twain

13. Boost Your Self Confidence. Make a deliberate attempt to look for opportunities that can help improve your sense of Self. For instance, if you are particularly good at doing something, set aside more time to indulge and improve your skills on it. Knowing that you have particular gifts can boost your self esteem.

14. Relax. You need to give yourself space to take breaks every now and then. If you spend your time working, without paying attention to your health, it also means that you do not love yourself well enough to take care of your own body. Fill your time with silence, soothing music and visions of beauty; anything that nourishes your Soul.

15. Have Fun. Inject some fun into your life. Life is meant to be an enjoyable. Don’t take life or yourself too seriously. If you can think of life in this manner, you automatically relax and quit worrying over things that do not matter.

16. Look After Your Body. It is important that you strengthen yourself with proper nutrition and regular exercise. Your body is a temple and you should treat it with respect, love and care. It has been found that the lack of self love is often the root causes of conditions like eating disorders, obesity or even terminal diseases.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
Jim Rohn quotes (American Speaker and Author. He is famous for motivational audio programs for Business and Life. )

17. Learn To See Beauty. When you learn to see beauty in every thing, you will also see beauty in yourself. Hence, stop to smell the flowers. Notice everything. Feel everything. The pink blush of the flowers in your garden, the greeness of the plains, the whisper of the gentle wind, or the myraid hues of an evening sky.

Be Thankful to Those Who Inspire Us

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
~Albert Schweitzer

Red Guides You to Reflect On Your Perfect Life

Perfection reflection
It is only when we take the time to look over our lives that we can truly see how some things came to be. Through reflection, most of us will find that we have a lot to be thankful for, and we will begin to understand how perfect our life really is. Try looking in these eight places first:

1. You. You should always be #1 on your list. The mere fact that you have survived this long is a testament to your own personal perfection. Life is fragile and uncertain, so every day that you are here - be grateful!

2. Your health. Okay, you may not be in perfect condition by scientific standards, but if you are getting through the days, you are doing something right - and creating the opportunity for improvement. How perfect is that?

3. Love. Whether or not you have someone special is secondary to the fact that you are a loving person, a person capable of giving and receiving love. Even during times of heartbreak, being able to feel so deeply is a gift. It may not always be pleasant, but you can't have great pain without knowing great joy. Be happy that you can feel, and be grateful that you can share those feelings… even if it's just with a friend right now.

4. Family. Family isn't limited to the humans that share our DNA. The closest of friends and most of our spoiled pets are family, too. Rejoice in the memories made with all the members of your family, and look forward to those who are yet to come!

5. Friends. People often overlook how many friends they really have, and don't always fully appreciate the friends they do include in the tally. Remember - the discounted and the underappreciated will still stick around, because you are who you are. That speaks volumes. In some way, shape, or form these people see perfection within you.

6. Loss. Most people think that a loss of any kind is an injustice, but often people and things are removed from our lives in order to teach us how to embrace something else. Cherish the perfection of every moment with that which brings you joy, because everything changes... eventually.

7. Life. Marvel at how a world of such chaos can keep evolving. The flow of the changing seasons, the warmth of the sun, the chill of the wind. Humans and nature always seem to be at odds, and yet somehow we continue to evolve and survive. While the coexistence may not be everyone's ideal, it doesn't make it any less perfect.

8. Memories. Memories, both good and bad, should be cherished. Our ability to pull joy, strength, or understanding from an event that happened long ago is simply amazing. So be amazed! And realize that every memory, no matter how it makes us feel, is perfect. Because all of our memories have led us to this place - today - which is (you guessed it) perfect!

So instead of spending our energy focusing on what we don't have, or where we want to be, or what bad things happened to us up until this point, let's just exist in the perfection of right now. Realize that each one of us is perfect, as are our lives. "Perfect" isn't synonymous with "easy" - it is just the ability to understand what is there, to see beyond what is not, and to be grateful for the opportunity and experience of right now!

Today

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life." ~ Charles Dederich

The Art of Harmony

The Art of Harmony
How do you get it?
by Psychic Verbena

Some people find harmony by striding down a crowded, bustling urban street, hammering out a deal on their Blackberry. For others harmony is found in silence, space, big trees and solitude. Harmony happens most easily when you're living the life you want. You're doing what floats your boat, and life just feels right.

Unlike harmony in music, math or physics, each person's experience of life harmony is unique. But because we live in a world of contrast and change, any sense of harmony that depends on outer circumstances is bound to be jostled and knocked out of alignment - sometimes frequently.

Out of harmony
Challenges in health, love, money or work are hard to avoid, and some are easier to restore to harmony than others. But what can really mess with your mind is impending change - especially change that seems to be out of your hands, when events appear to be moving you away from what you want. Sometimes they seem to keep going in the wrong direction no matter how hard you struggle.

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Or you could be experiencing the kind of soul-deep restlessness and incompleteness that usually indicates it's time for you to make a change, no matter how much you hate the thought. For some, though, even getting close to a sense of harmony seems impossible. If you've grown up in challenging circumstances, or recently been hammered by difficulties- or if your experience tells you that life just isn't on your side, and that there's nothing you can do to change it - harmony seems to exist in another universe entirely.

Find and keep it
To put it simply, maintaining harmony is about finding your center. This is easiest to define in martial arts terms. The martial arts teach that your center is an actual place in your body which, when you focus there, allows you to move immediately in any direction with speed, balance and strength.

You can find the same kind of center in your mind, emotions and spirit if you cultivate an attitude of mind and heart that allows you to respond in the moment to any situation with calm and optimism. Once you know how to get to that place and stay there, harmony is yours.

History
For at least as long as there's been written language, philosophers in every culture have recorded their thoughts about how to maintain harmony, and they pretty much agree that it's all about a positive attitude. No matter how it is achieved - meditation, non-attachment, faith, trust, or self-confidence - a positive attitude is at the core of a harmonious existence.

Of course, self-confidence is a powerful basis for your positive attitude. If you believe in your heart and soul that you can cope with anything, then many of life's fears won't get you down. But self-confidence isn't enough to keep you in a state of harmony by itself. You can have full faith in your ability to cope with anything and still be desperately unhappy. So what's the missing ingredient?

Staying power
If you have a spiritual practice that sustains and nourishes you, or if your friends, family, or spiritual community is very supportive of you - or if you believe in a higher power that always works toward well being - then you have found one of the two best paths to harmony.

But very often a person's spiritual practice leads them to an even more powerful path, grounding them in a spiritual reality that can sustain or restore harmony like magic. It seems like the opposite of self-confidence - and yet, amazingly, it confers a deeper and more permanent level of confidence, one that is rooted in a sense of being one with the Divine. It is something that is activated by your open, optimistic participation in life.

Buddhists define this state as one of non-attachment. It means you're willing to let go of control, to accept the situation when challenges and changes crop up. Experience or faith (or both) have taught you that it's a good idea to go along for the ride - first, because it's more restful than struggling, but also (and even more importantly) because very often your higher power is creating something far better than you could have imagined on your own. You just need to stay centered, and alert to the possibilities along the way.

When you're able to take what comes - to go through life with your head up, your eyes open and a delighted interest in everything that occurs, because you just know that the future is a gift waiting to for you to unwrap it - then harmony will become your natural state.

6 Steps to Sustainable Eating

6 Steps to Sustainable Eating
By Laura Pensiero

We've all tried—and failed at—our share of diets. To really shake up your eating habits once and for all, you need a plan that's easy to follow and enjoyable, so you're genuinely motivated to keep at it. You also need a diet you can't "break"—one that's flexible enough to adapt to any changes, from your activity level to the company at your table. Here are six steps to get you on your way:

1. Start small. Changing everything all at once never works. Instead, go through your refrigerator and pantry and weed out a few empty-calorie traps: foods you reach for when you're rushed or bored, that don't nourish your body. Then substitute fresh, seasonal foods. Keep whole grain bread and cheese handy to grab instead of chips. Add a salad every day, at lunch or dinner. Try fruit at snack time.

2. Go local. Visit LocalHarvest.org or EatWellGuide.org. Type in your zip code for a list of products grown and made in your community, from honey, cheese, grass-fed meat, and pasture-raised eggs to lettuces and herbs.

3. Play the (green) market. Visit your local farmers' market. While there, talk to farmers and sample food that's likely within 48 hours of picking. Most farmers eat what they grow, so they're a great source of tips for preparing, serving, and storing the foods they sell.

4. Branch out. Try a fruit or vegetable that you didn't think you liked when it's at its peak. I've seen people converted to foods from asparagus to zucchini just by tasting them freshly picked and simply prepared.

5. Learn the story behind your food. When you connect with the men and women who grow what you eat, it tastes all the better. Kids especially become more courageous when they know what went into the food they have for dinner.

6. Plant a garden—however small. Seeing the miracle of a seed turn into a delectable ingredient instills an appreciation for all it takes to grow great-quality food. If you don't have a green thumb, try a simple container garden: Cultivate a few herbs or cherry tomatoes in pots on your windowsill or patio.

Coach Sherrie says: Yeah! I started my garden today. I'm starting small, but I expect to be growing most of my vegies by this time next year.

Oprah On The Real Food Diet

The Real-Food Diet Mix-and-Match Meal Plan
Menu created by Laura Pensiero

Photo: Con PoulosThe versatile templates below can be adapted to whatever seasonal ingredients you have on hand. The risotto, for example, can be made with zucchini and tomatoes in summer, or with radicchio and butternut squash come fall. And next week, substitute whole wheat pasta or polenta for the grains. The idea is that these three days of menus can be expanded into a blueprint for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Note that this plan is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to everything you should consume in a day (beverages, side dishes, and snacks are absent). Talk to your doctor about your particular nutritional requirements and fill in the blanks with the foods he suggests—a snack of yogurt to increase calcium, perhaps, or nuts for protein. And when your sweet tooth acts up, grab the juiciest, ripest fruit you can find. You'll barely miss the cookies, we promise.

Consult each recipe's notes for ideas on seasonal variations.

Breakfast
Day A: Yogurt topped with whole grain granola and seasonal fruit
Day B: Hard-boiled eggs with whole wheat toast
Day C: Toasted whole grain bread with almond or peanut butter and preserves
Lunch
Day A: Hudson Valley Club Sandwich
Day B: Gigi "Skizza" with Arugula Pesto, Ricotta, and Chicken
+
Green Salad

Day C: Gigi Barbina Salad
Dinner
Day A: Mixed Grain Risotto with Squash, Tomatoes, and Basil
+
Fresh or frozen berries sprinkled with 1 teaspoon sugar

Day B: Portobello Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sloppy Joes

Day C: Biscuit-Topped Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew
+
Rustic Fruit Tart

Celebrate Your Beauty

Celebrate Your Beauty
Women are surrounded by images of perfection—from skinny celebrity images on Web sites and magazine covers to catalogues filled with gorgeous models. No wonder we have unrealistic expectations of our bodies, and zero in on the flaws in our appearance! To get healthier without losing your mind, take baby steps and make one change at a time. Dr. Domar’s tips:

Set realistic goals that can be achieved in small increments, like losing a pound a week or three pounds a month.
Get moving. Forget the scale and focus on moving more.
Practice self-forgiveness. When you slip up, don’t be so hard on yourself! Treat yourself the way you would a friend who tells you about making the same mistake.

Be Courageous - Take One Little Step!

"To be courageous means to be afraid but to go a little step forward anyway." ~Beverly Smith

Demetriou on "Your Shadow Self"

Helen Demetriou sent a message to the members of AngelCraft Healing Therapy.
--------------------
Subject: The Shadow Self

Celestial Blessings

The Angels asked me to talk about the shadow self in my message today, and it’s
uncanny as I have noticed lately quite a few people who refuse to accept their
shadow selves.

So what is the shadow self? The shadow self is the darker side of our
personality which has been repressed, hidden and denied. It could have been
shaped by our parents, siblings, friends and teachers and it is a part of
ourselves that we do not want others to know about us as it does not match that
which we wish to portray ourselves to be to the world. We each wear a mask that
hides what we believe others would think of as ugly, yet they too are thinking
the same thing as you and wearing their own self made mask. It is the part of
us which we despise and refuse to accept as being part of us so we try to
discard it. There are many ways we try to do this but the number one preferred
way is by projecting our own fears onto others.

Looking within at the shadow self is our number one tool for enlightenment and
ascension, so you can understand how important it is for us to uncover the truth
about ourselves TO ourselves and accept them and claim them. You may find
people claim you to be a certain way and you find yourself saying “but I am not
like this” and this is because we each have blind spots that where we cannot see
the truth about ourselves. Of course the person making the statement about you
is also projecting their shadow self onto you, but this is a pattern of our
race; a constant chain reaction of realization and synchronized events which we
need in order to heal. I admit it isn’t easy to confront our shadow self and
needs a lot of courage and time and hard work but how much you want to a
peaceful life depends on you. When you are able to face yourself one to one
then your life will be far more enjoyable and happy.

I receive so many email and have read on so many forums the phrase “I’m no good
at manifesting” and also “nothing ever goes right in my life; there is just one
problem after another” and “Nothing good ever happens to me” or “am I cursed?
Why do I have such bad luck?” Understand that these people are MASTERS in the
art of manifestation as their doom and gloom thought forms are manifesting
negative events into their lives thick and fast. It is impossible that they are
not creating their reality by cause and effect as everything we think, feel or
do has an effect.

Then there are those that blame all of their short comings on everyone else.
“It is HER fault why this happened to me.” Or “someone has cursed me I know it!”
and “You are the reason why I am so unhappy!”. It isn’t easy to accept that
whatever happens to us is our own responsibility. It isn’t easy to accept that
whatever negative happens to us is because we accept it. So why do we accept
it? It is because the shadow part of ourselves is repressed and hidden by us
and we do not face that this part of us contains the “I’m not worthy” phrase a
lot of us own. So you see, facing our demons can prevent allowing others to
hurt us in the numerous ways that others can…and all because we LET them. Under
the mask that we wear the shadow self seethes and infests as the more darkness
it knows the more like a bacteria it becomes which results in self abuse,
addictions, subconsciously entering into an abusive relationship, lying,
betrayal, pain and so forth.

Ultimately from time to time the shadow finds an escape and surfaces, rips off
the mask we wear and takes center stage for all to see. This can be in the form
of anger tantrums, being argumentative, jealousy and generally being hurtful to
others. When it finally runs out of steam and has been spent, we are left
feeling ashamed and embarrassed and may wonder where it came from, that it is
not like us to be like this.

The shadow self can also manifest itself in dreams; you may have recurrent
dreams about a man or a woman who is ugly or scares you and you are being chased
or trying to escape them. You may close your eyes and see a fiendish face
looking back at you. You may look into a mirror and see a face you have never
seen before. All these can be your shadow selves trying to emerge, trying to be
healed because the shadow self is what we are healing when we work on the self.
But how can this be done when we hide them away like dirty laundry? This is
part of you! Face yourself, get to know this shadow for when you face this
shadow you stop BEING the shadow in your life.

When we believe we do not feel anger anymore or impatience etc we have to ask
ourselves have we REALLY healed? Or have we just buried it so far down that we
believe it doesn’t exist anymore? Sadly, unless you have faced yourself and
your shadow, it is still there, waiting to erupt and surface again.

All the shadow self wants is light, love and acceptance. All the shadow self
wants isrecognition and a chance to be noticed by you. Once you begin to shine
a glow on the shadow self it is easier and less scary to look at. After all,
this IS you, it is a part of you, so to be wholly healed you must heal ALL of
you, not just the parts that you deem as acceptable.

Love and Light,

Helen <3
--------------------
To reply to this message, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=135343630568&mid=c8eee3G4c1926f5Ga9116eG0

Coach Sherrie says: You can use the shadow side to make your art better. Let it come out in your creative work and it won't come popping out when you least expect it.

Life Is A Paradise

"Life is a paradise for those who love many things with a passion." - Leo Buscaglia

Coach Sherrie says: Sorry you have not heard from me in quite some time. After a long, drawn-out school ending (several friends retired) we took an extended vacation in New York. I hope to be doing a lot of posting in the next week or so. Please send me any comments. I'd love to hear from you!