Do You Expect Others to Love You

More Than You Love Yourself?

There is a well-known poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that begins,

How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
my soul can reach….

Can you imagine what it is like to be loved this way?

Can you imagine what it is like to love yourself this way?

To love yourself completely, without judgment, is a practice, and it’s time for each of us to begin living not only from our hearts, but from a space of pure love, the kind that has no limitations, no boundaries, no judgment.

Are you ready?

Here’s one way to get started.

I, [insert name], hereby pledge myself to self-love.

As of today, [insert date], I promise myself that I will daily practice self-love in these ways.

1. I will tell myself, “I love you” 3 times while looking into my eyes and thinking of someone else I love without limitation.  (This can be a human, animal, or divine being.)
2. I will think of something I truly like and appreciate about myself and will write it down and post it on a wall.  (Use post-it notes, so that each day you can add a new one.)
3. I will forgive myself for something that I don’t like about myself and post it on a forgiveness chart.
4. I will be kind to myself by catching myself each time I have a negative thought or make a negative remark in my head or out loud, and instead hugging myself and telling myself that I love myself just as I am.

Signed:  ____________________

It’s OK to make mistakes. 

Do you believe that?

How else will you learn?

So if you take this pledge and then “forget” to do it,

there’s no need to get all in a tizzy and down on yourself.

Just begin again!

The world has not ended, and you have not proven how terrible you are.

What a perfect opportunity to learn forgiveness!!

Please share your thoughts by posting them in the comments portion of this blog.