We’ve always been told that in order to love someone else we must first learn to love ourselves. It’s so important to be able to establish a close bond with the most important person in your life – you. How you view and see yourself ultimately reflects in everything that you do and every relationship that you have. Self-love is when you find such peace in the deepest part of your being, and you genuinely enjoy being in your own company. I don’t think that many people know what it truly means to “love themselves” so I’m going to clarify what i mean exactly . We tend to be our own best and unfortunately worst critics. We are often so hard on ourselves we forget to take a step back and give ourselves a little break. It is normal to feel sad, hurt and afraid. We shouldn’t be ashamed when these feelings arise and try to ignore them, or mask them with bad habits. Sometimes people think that these feelings are a sign of weakness, but in actuality they are a sign of strength. It’s very important to become mindful of this, and allow yourself to feel exactly what you are feeling. During times when you feel this way, remember that you are only human. Life is hard, but be gentle on yourself. You’re the only you out there. Have you ever noticed that when you ignore your feelings or push them away they tend to come back with such intensity you almost cannot stand being in your own skin? It is overwhelming to feel unhappy feelings because they cause us to think and overthink. So instead, we somehow train our brains to completely push out those feelings so we don’t have to feel them. Have you ever spoken to someone about a bad experience in their life that made them sad and hurt and they’ve said, “I don’t want to talk about it” or “I pretend it never happened”? This is a perfect example of someone who is not allowing themselves to feel the experience(s) for what it is or was. In the long run they are going to be causing themselves mountains and mountains of more pain. You must remember to feel your feelings as they come throughout every experience you have. Your feelings will tell you everything that you need to know in order to take care of yourself, you just have to listen to them. It’s so important to realize the significance and importance of self-love. When you have learned to love yourself, you will notice how much easier it is for people to love you and for you to accept that love because well, you deserve it.