Do You Love Yourself?

I spent a little over a week re-imagining this exercise so I can write it out. You can either read this along with the music or not. It's up to you:

Imagine there's a crib in a nice quiet room. Inside the crib is a baby. As you stare at this baby you realize this baby is you. It is filled with so much potential..So much hope.. So much goodness. This baby has no idea of all the things that will happen to them. Maybe there were times where things out of their control hurt them and they can't help but to wonder why. You feel their pain and already know their sorrow. Maybe this child did things you were not quite proud of but never give up on them. You understand them and there's always hope for them.

This child could be angry and sad. They could be mad at themselves. You put your hand on their shoulder and say, "It's not your fault. All those things were out of your control. It's made you stronger and made you the person you are today. I believe in you. It's time to let it go. It's time to forgive the people that hurt you. Most importantly, it's time to forgive yourself. Let go of that pain and move on."

This idea comes from the movie "Good Will Hunting". Robbin Williams character is a therapist who helps Matt Damon's character (Will) move on to the better things waiting for him. Will meets a girl who is ready to show him love but he has trust issues due to the abuse he experienced as a child. When he finally lets go of his past, he is able to receive love and a bright future ahead of him.

Love yourself by simply saying, "I love myself."

Say "I love myself" when you wake up. Say "I love myself" when you brush your teeth. Say it on the way to work or school. Say it with a smile. You should say it every chance you get and every day. Love your whole being and existence. You can do no wrong. You are perfect the way you are. This is how you love unconditionally. You understand, accept and appreciate yourself.

When you plant seeds of "I love myself" into the root of your thinking, happiness grows. Later, you'll start to ask questions like, "Do I deserve to be in this situation I am right now? I know I deserve better."  You'll explore more things you love doing more often. You'll become a better person doing things for others and you'll be proud of yourself.

Start saying it. Time to move forward. You deserve everything.
(Inspired from the book "Love yourself like your life depended on it" by Kamal Ravikant)

They say love yourself before anyone could love you. This is the right way to do it. Don't focus on your looks, your money, or anything superficial; those are just temporary happiness. But focus on things that you can be proud of that is firmly embedded in you like your talent, being kind, being generous, etc.Soon you will soon notice people gravitating towards you and loving you. But at the end of the day, it won't really matter if you truly love yourself.