
“You, yourself, as much as anybody else in the entire universe, deserves your love and affection.” -Buddha
This past weekend, I went to my cousin's baby shower. We played all sorts of games related to babies and parenting. For example, guessing baby animal names (a baby tiger is called a whelp...who knew?), estimating how much yarn it would take to go around mama's belly, not saying the word "baby" for the entire afternoon (way harder than it sounds!). Out of all the games we played, my favorite one was when everyone wrote a piece of advice to the parents on a note card, all of which were to be collected and placed in a book for Mom and Dad.
Some went the humorous, not so subtle route, casually mentioning that all babies need at least one sibling. Others talked about how precious time was and to enjoy every moment with the family. Not being a mother myself, I was stumped for words regarding parenting. So I began thinking about what I wanted and needed from my parents as a child, and ultimately, I landed on LOVE.
No matter how old you are, what your job is, how big your family is or how many friends you have (in person or on Facebook), the most important love that you will ever receive is self love.
That's right! You've got to love yourself, and I mean realllyy love yourself. Once you do, everything starts falling into place. Picture someone walking down the street. Their shiny hair is flowing, skin glowing, maybe a little smile on their face as they walk by you with a confidence you really admire... Guess what? That person is probably practicing some serious self love! Also, notice how you feel when you encounter someone like this. Do you smile back? Is you mood elevated? Do you feel motivated by their confidence? Think about it.
In my experience, love creates a ripple effect. If you love yourself, you will reap the benefits of that loving feeling. You will feel good, do good, say good things, maybe make another person feel good in doing so. Then, the cycle continues.
So, if you're like me, and your mission in life is to help others feel good, take this small, simple step and start loving yourself. Take a bath, go out in nature, cook yourself a beautiful meal or just say to yourself, "I love you."
See what happens.
All my love ∞