Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to write a post about Love. If we look around us, we can see evidence all around of love. As a Mom, it is easy for me to think of how much I love my children. It is easy to think of loving my husband. But, one thing I don’t think that often about is how much happier I would be if I would take more time to love myself.
To love ourselves, I think we first must recognize our divine nature. We are all sons and daughters of God. He loves us unconditionally, wants the best for us, and provided a way for us to return to live with Him again. We have the potential to be anything we want to be, but most of all, He does want us to be happy. If we don’t recognize that we have a loving Heavenly Father, and that we truly do have self-worth, then it is going to be harder to love ourselves.
How do we start to show love towards ourselves? I think one of the key things that we need and must do is to work on our thoughts. I know that I, for one, have a hard time with feelings of inadequacy, and negative thoughts. It is a constant battle, especially as a Mom, to put aside those thoughts and recognize that they do not come from the Lord. Instead, we must remember to hang onto the positive and remind ourselves daily that it is OK if we aren’t perfect. It is OK if we mess up.
Last, I think we will feel more love automatically for ourselves if we can find ways to do more good around us. Loving others will help us to receive love in return. Serving others will also do the same. What we give out to those around us will come back to us. The more we can love others, the easier it will be to love ourselves.