The biggest form of self-love you can give yourself is to be yourself truly.
Unfortunately in our society we learn really fast that we need to put on a mask in order to be accepted. We have a belief inside of us that it is not safe to be our true authentic self. This is a deep subconscious belief we have carried for centuries, especially us women. Not that long ago we were burned for mixing potions and using herbal medicine. I used to do this a lot as a child but then as a teenager, I stopped doing it because I was afraid my friends would laugh at me.
I always believed in magic and knew how powerful I was but the older I became, the more I was hiding this part of myself. As a consequence, I was not truly happy and my life was not as magical as it is today. I was blocking myself from being the person I want to be and from living the life I truly desire.
So the best way to start loving yourself is to truly be yourself. Who are you really? What do you really want to do? What are you really interested in? Choose to be this person now. Nobody is holding you back. You cannot stand in your power unless you know who you are and own it, all your strengths and weaknesses.
If you know who you are with conviction, no one can define your worth, take away your power, bring you down, or say what is possible but you. If you own your weaknesses, no one can call you out because you have already claimed them.
Important:
The outside world is a reflection of your inside world. So when people are judging you are disliking a part of you, this shows that you are judging yourself and that you have not truly embraced this part of you. In addition, when people are triggered by you this shows that there is something inside of them that wants to be expressed in a way you are doing it. This also works the other way around. So look at the people that are triggering you the most. What qualities do they have? What are they doing that you just cannot stand? The part that annoys you the most is the one that you need to express more.
For example, I always was judging girls in my school for not wearing make-up. I thought that they wouldn't take care of themselves and even be dirty. But in reality that was just a big lie, I told myself. I was jealous because I wished I would be so confident. I wished I wouldn't' feel the need to hide behind big layers of make-up.
Task:
What are you believing in? What do you enjoy doing? What do you want to wear? What do you want to be known for? How do you want to express yourself? What did you like doing as a child? What are you holding back? What are you pretending and faking?
Make a list of the good (the light) and the dark (the shadow). Make a list of at least ten things that are true about your light and shadow. Own it all without shame.
You need to be brave to do this. But do you really want to be living someone else's life? Don't you think you owe yourself to be the person you came here to be? So from now on, I want you to dress how you want, talk about what you are interested in, express yourself in the way you want, and do the things that excite you. Stop holding back you have nothing to lose.
Yes, some friends might be surprised and a bit confused, and maybe people will comment on your behavior but remember that they are just a reflection of what is going on inside of you. When you have truly embraced yourself, those people and comments will fade away.
Stop hiding behind a mask and pretend to be someone you are not.
We all came here with our own set of gifts and you owe it to the world to share yours. When you are truly the person you came here to be you will do this world a big favor. We need you. We need the real unique you. You have a role in this world and you can only fulfill it when you are expressing your authentic self. So don't hold back and let your light shine. This in the end will help many others to also let their light shine.
Often our so-called weaknesses are our strengths and gifts in disguise. What makes you different from others? What parts of you have you been trying to change in order to fit in? What have you been accused of being 'too much' of? ( ex. too sensitive, too emotional, too honest) This is your unique strength. This is your gift to the world.