Learning to Love and Accept Yourself

Happy Valentines Day to our raw food and holistic health family! To continue with our celebration of our Love Your Body Month, we would like to talk about learning to love and accept yourself. You are all beautiful. magnificent beings and we are so happy to have you be a part of our family. Often times we associate love with other people (such as family members, friends, or a significant other), animals (your pet) and experiences (how you felt when…..). When we say “I love you,” we’re always saying it to another person. How often do we express our love for ourselves?

Let’s take a look within for a moment. Many of us have lifelong goals and aspirations that we hope to acquire, maybe it’s finding your true soul mate, getting a new job that excites you, or taking an adventurous vacation. No matter what it is, in the end, it all comes down to the basic need to be happy, being accepted and feeling loved. We all achieve this state through different paths (new career, new partner, new beginning, new adventures). But one way to catapult yourself onto the path of happiness, being accepted and feeling loved is to love yourself.

In order to truly love yourself (and in return share that love with others) you have to accept and love yourself unconditionally. Even if there are parts about you (physically, mentally, spiritually) that you are still working on, love those parts anyway. They are apart of you, a forever changing and evolving being. We would like to share with you 5 tips to help you love and accept you, for the person you are right now, and the person you are going to be.

5 Tips to Love and Accept Yourself

1. Show The Mirror Love. Often times when we look at ourselves in the mirror, our eyes are immediately drawn to what we consider to be our flaws or things we would like to change. Some of us get up in the mirror, not to gaze into our eyes, but to examine the size of our pores (yes ladies, we said it!). We think about “I wish my [fill in the blank] was [fill in the blank].” Well, if all you look for are flaws, then that is all you will see. So instead look for beauty. Next time you look in the mirror, give yourself a compliment (“hey there good lookin’!” “wow you’re looking great today!” “I love those bright eyes of yours!” etc). Say it out loud and with a smile. It may seem silly, but its guaranteed to put you in a good mood and stir up some positive energy. Remember too, as you gaze at yourself, see your whole self (the whole amazing package of everything that you are); this really puts love and acceptance into perspective.

2. Make A List. What do you LOVE about yourself? I mean absolutely LOVE!!! Make a list of 10 things that you absolutely adore about yourself. This list can be a combination of physical and personality traits! And be sure to write this down as we believe there is power and energy in the written word. This can be a really fun and positive exercise for yourself, a chance for you to brag about what makes you so awesome! You can put this list a couple different places. It can be a post-it note on your bathroom mirror or a journal entry in your diary. Or, you can hide a couple copies in a book, binder, wallet or purse, so you’ll find the sweet surprise later. What an excellent way to continuously send love your way.

3. Say “I LOVE YOU.” How often do we look into the eyes of someone (a romantic partner, spouse, friend, family member) and say “I love you.” We say it, we mean it, and we look into their eyes. We see that person for exactly who they are, and we LOVE them for it. Why not treat yourself to that same love? Let’s go back to the mirror. Let’s look into your own eyes, call out your name, and genuinely say “I love you.” It may be a gentle whisper at first but we guarantee that you will get louder and more convicted each time you do it! You’ll probably incorporate a little dance and maybe a wink after a couple weeks of this. Have fun! You are so worth it!

4. Beauty Is A State of Mind. If you are happy with yourself. If you think of yourself as beautiful and sexy, then others people will think that way about you too. It’s about confidence. What can you do to be m ore confident? Aside from these fabulous tips, wear clothes that make you feel good. That’s right, clothes carry energy too. If you love it, and it looks great on you, you will exude that confidence and others will notice. Take care of yourself physically. Working out in any shape or form releases endorphins and good energy. You feel awesome because you accomplished something and you are working towards a goal. Eat right! Eating the right foods that give you proper nutrients is another way to heighten the level of positive energy you have in your life. When you eat right, trust us, it shows. Be kind and compassionate with yourself, through taking care of your mind, body and spirit, you are showing yourself love and acceptance.

5. See The Whole Person. We live in a society that is way to judgmental. We see someone and based on their appearance we make judgments. We make preconceived notions about who a person is, based on how they look. Change the way you think, change the way you see the world around you, and ultimately you will change yourself and bring more love into your life. Next time you are out and about, or even if you are in the office, try to remove your blindfold of just seeing a physical person, and instead see the whole person. See what makes them so unique, see what their amazing traits are. What makes them who they are, unlike anyone else? What makes them so special? You don’t want to be judged by superficial standards, so shift your mindset to not view others in this light.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Love is in the air. Whether or not you’re celebrating with someone else, make sure you show some love to yourself, for our Love Your Body Month, and beyond.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

By admin Tags: accept yourself, acceptance, love, love your body, love your body month, self acceptance, self love
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