We spend so much of our time waiting to be loved, hoping love will find us, searching, yearning for that special love. Feeling empty and
lost without it. Wanting someone to give us love and fill us up. Unfortunately,
that’s not usually how life works. You will draw to you exactly what you create
in life, and what you believe you are worthy of. So loving yourself can create
love in your life.

Steps...

1- Take a realistic evaluation of yourself. Be honest with yourself about how
valuable you believe you are as a person. The way you see yourself and treat
yourself is the very way others will see you and treat you. Do you see yourself
as valuable, worthy of the gift of love? Do you treat yourself lovingly and as
a valuable being? And most importantly, do you treat OTHERS with love? That's
the first step to feeling better about yourself. It’s ok to be truthful with
yourself, though it may not be pretty! Awareness is the first and more powerful
step on the path to change!

2- Forgive yourself if you ever believe you aren't worthy of love. After all,
there were probably things in your childhood or previous years that created
that belief for you. It simply isn’t true; every being on this planet is worthy
of love, after all, love is what we are here for, it’s what it’s all about. Say
to yourself now; “I forgive myself for believing that I was not worthy of
love.” Go look in a mirror and say it out loud to yourself, look yourself right
in the eyes and say it like you mean it.

3- Post this affirmation up someplace where you will see it each and every day;
"I have the courage to believe that I am worthy of love." Read it out
loud, every day, at least once, ideally at least ten times each time you notice
it. Sticky notes are fabulous for affirmations.

4- Take action and make those words real. Begin loving and valuing yourself. It
is said that you cannot give away what you do not have. So, if you are not able
to love and accept yourself unconditionally, how in the world are you going to
love and accept anyone else unconditionally? Much less accept that love in
return from them?

5- Remember that love is not a feeling, it is a choice! Make the choice to love
yourself. After all, who deserves it more? The more loving you are to yourself,
the more loving you will be able to be to everyone around you. Family and
friends will especially benefit from this. Make a choice to come from a place
of love for yourself and for everyone who is important in your life.

6- Think about what you need to fill that emptiness inside, that place that is
longing for love. What specifically do you need? Find the answer and then give
it to yourself. No one is more capable of loving you, and giving you exactly
what you need than you are! When you learn how to fulfill yourself in that way,
you stop searching for it outside of yourself and you suddenly begin attracting
it to you. You change yourself from a sponge to a magnet! People see you
radiating self love and they are drawn to you.

7- Keep a journal. Write about your experiences, good and bad. When you write
down your good experiences allow yourself to feel those good feelings again.
When you remember the bad experiences, allow yourself to feel pride. Pride
because you faced a challenge in your life and you are here today to write
about it, which must mean you are a survivor and a fighter. Tell yourself,
"I know pain, but I've yet to be introduced to surrender." Keep on
keeping on.

Warnings...

Loving one’s self is different from self-adoration or narcissism, which are
negative and a huge turn off to others as they involve placing oneself above
others.