February has been termed the month of love. I mean we have Valentine’s Day to thank for that right? But, what if we change the status quo a little bit or perhaps extend it to include loving ourselves?

Yeah! There seems to be a lot of focus on loving and being loved that we forget a pretty intricate part of our existence which is the need to love the person that we are, for whom we are, and embrace the totality of our being.

So, that’s what this is all about – you! And absolutely you! Pause for a moment. Walk to the mirror closest to you and take a deep look at the image right before your eyes. Now say… I am beautiful… (and handsome if you are male), I am precious… I am made for a purpose… I am not a mistake (even if you have been told over and over again that your birth was a mistake)… I am not a failure… (even if you have tried many times but haven’t succeeded yet)… I am not my mistakes… Take a few moments to savour these words, let them take root in the depths of who you are until you know that you know that you know that they are true.

You see, never for a second allow the world to define you, neither let the circumstances surrounding you change the reality of who you are. Perhaps you have made terrible mistakes in your past that you are totally ashamed of… well, this is a perfect time to forgive yourself and move on. Let today be the last day you will ever beat yourself up over that incident. Were you rejected by someone you totally loved? Well, it’s his/her loss – and quite frankly maybe, just maybe that person was never worthy of you to start with. Did you lose that job? Umh.. umh… that does not in any way make you a failure. It just means something much better is on its way.

When times are good, love yourself. When times are bad, love yourself even more. Accept yourself. You are you. A masterpiece, an original and there can never be anyone quite like you. Isn’t that awesome? Common! That should get you tripping, jumping and all shades of excited! Don’t compare yourself to others. Ok… this may be a little tough, but come to think of it, what do you gain by doing that? You shortchange yourself trying to keep up and you simply miss out on every great moment of your life just because you are trying to meet up with someone else’s calendar. Choose your pace. Accept your place and work with what you have and soon, someday you will be all you have ever wanted to be!
Interestingly, loving yourself means having to shed – to a large extent everything that represents negative energy. Are you surrounded by toxic people? It’s time you change your crew. Are you surrounded by negative news? It’s time to change the channel. Consciously learn to be at peace with yourself. Breathe freely, mindfully and purposefully. You may want to practice mental, emotional and physical detoxing as often as possible.

In loving yourself, you have to learn to be true to yourself and your feelings. Identify your feelings and take responsibility for them – don’t deny them or tuck them away in the corners of your heart. Face them bravely. It may seem hectic at first but you’d eventually get a hang of them. Next, form a relationship with your maker. See, no matter the mombo jumbo the world tries to feed you, you can’t make it without an understanding of the blueprints of your life and that can only come from a relationship with the One who made you. Take time out each day to commune with Him, let His love encompass your heart, and remain forever secure in His embrace as He gives you tips and insights that you can get from no one else coupled with a kind of love that’s second to none. Finally, as you receive directions and inspirations, remember to act on these. You should however also consciously guard your heart with all diligence for out of it springs issues of life.

You see, loving yourself is serious business, but then when you do, you will begin to blossom, your health will improve, your self-esteem will soar, and the world will be a better place to be.

I challenge you today to start loving yourself. I believe in you and I long to see you on the happier side of life!

Here’s to the new you and all the greatness cooking on your inside. Hearty cheers!