The Path To Self Love

This question may not give you an instant answer, but it can start your self-love journey. 

It gives rise to many smaller questions; answering them will tell you if you love yourself.

If you love yourself, great! But even if you don’t, do not get disheartened. Take it as an opportunity to learn self-love.

Trust me, deciding to walk the path of self-love will not disappoint you. A few years later, when you look back, you will be proud of yourself.

So, let’s begin with the questions that will confirm you love yourself.

Do I Love Myself: The Underlying Questions

Loving yourself is all about allowing yourself to live your best possible life.

Thus, the questions you must ask yourself relate to the foundations of a life of meaning and substance. I am talking about virtues like self-knowledge, inner peace, self-acceptance, self-trust, and love, among other things.

Let’s begin by asking the essential question about self-knowledge.

Do I Know Myself?

You cannot love yourself without knowing yourself well; hence, it is the first step in one’s self-love journey.

By knowing yourself, I mean whether you know who you are and understand why you are the way you are.

If you know these answers and like yourself, you probably also love yourself. And if you do not like yourself, you can still work on it. 

But if you still do not know who you are, you must reflect and find the necessary answers. 

If you find deep thinking tricky, try journaling. Ponder upon these more profound questions which will take you closer to yourself: 

1) What is my fundamental way of thinking?

2) How do I feel in different situations and why?

3) What behaviors define me? 

4) Why do I behave the way I do? 

5) What are my likes & dislikes, and why?

6) What are my fears and strengths, and how did I develop them?

7) What are my dreams and aspirations, and what are the reasons behind them?

These journal prompts will help you understand yourself. And when you know who you are, you can decide whether you love yourself.

Do I Value My Inner Peace?

Do I Accept Myself As I Am?

Nobody is perfect, and it’s imperative to understand this fact.

Having weaknesses or shortcomings should never prevent you from loving yourself. Instead, they should make you love yourself even more so that you can improve going forward.

You have self-acceptance if you do not judge yourself harshly or feel guilty about who you are. Self-acceptance is significant evidence of the presence of self-love within you.

Do I Forgive Myself Easily?

When you are imperfect, you make mistakes that might lead to failure.

How do you treat yourself when mistakes happen? Do you show self-compassion and forgive yourself instantly, or do you start feeling guilty and overly self-critical?

If you choose the first option, you love yourself.

Do I Trust Myself?

Self-trust is the soul of self-love, just like in any other relationship. 

Trusting yourself means having full faith in your intentions and abilities. You know you will never do anything that sabotages your well-being. You also believe you will accomplish great things that will improve your life.

This unshakeable bridge of self-trust makes the impossible possible. Its presence within you shows the strong bond you share with yourself.

So, ask yourself if you trust yourself; if you do, you are in love with yourself.

Do I Motivate Myself Enough?

Life is a garland of challenges and obstacles. You move to the next phase only after finding solutions.

Some people find these solutions by supporting and encouraging themselves, while others place a heavy burden of expectations on themselves. 

Which path do you choose to move ahead?

You love yourself if you motivate yourself by giving yourself pep talks.

Do I Work on Myself?

Life demands constant self-improvement. You can never claim that your current state will be enough forever.

So, even with a fabulous physique, you cannot stop exercising. You have to constantly work on your health and fitness.

And to improve consistently, you need relentless effort and a never-give-up attitude.

Do you work on yourself consistently to uphold self-improvement and excellence in every area of your life? If you do, you love yourself.

Do I Take Sufficient Care of Myself?

Care is an inherent part of love. If you love yourself, you will take good care of yourself.

You avoid negative thoughts, keep yourself mentally and physically healthy, and do everything possible to stay safe, happy, and motivated.

Self-care is a lifelong commitment. If you have taken this pledge, you genuinely love yourself.

Do I Celebrate My Success?

Everybody needs a pat on their back when they do well. It makes you feel good about yourself and opens the doors to more success.

But sometimes, we take our success for granted and do not appreciate ourselves enough. 

Do you congratulate yourself for every small success you achieve?

Do you tell yourself that you did well and deserve a treat?

And do you celebrate your successes by giving yourself a good time?

If you do these things, you love yourself!

Do I Back Myself When I Need It The Most?

Everybody goes through confusion, self-doubt, and failures. In such moments, you need a helping hand. Even a little support can be enough to get you back on track.

But we mostly lack external support or backing. People might lose faith in you. What do you do in such situations?

Do you rise above these challenges to hold your hand like a true friend?

Do you trust your instincts and tell yourself that you have it in you to bounce back?

Do you refuse to give up on yourself?

If you do, you are a fighter who loves themselves deeply.

Do I Love Others?

What does loving others have to do with loving yourself? Everything!

Love is a “whole package” and not just an isolated affair. If you know how to love, you love not only yourself but everybody. When that love comes back, it allows you to love yourself even more.

So, the fact that you love others is a sign that you love yourself, too.

Thus, the question is – Do you admire people even if you don’t like socializing?

Do you harbor kind thoughts about them and not critical ones?

Do you sense a deep and special bond with everyone you encounter?

If you do, you love people, which confirms your love for yourself!

Start The Journey of Self Love

You love yourself if you have a positive answer for at least 6 of the 10 questions above! It’s a moment to rejoice and congratulate yourself.

Then, you can start working on the remaining aspects to raise your self-love quotient.

Do not get disheartened if you do not get 6 positive answers. It’s because it doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t love yourself.

The fact that you don’t feel good about it means that you want to love yourself more. And that’s the spark you need to cultivate self-love.

So, take that pledge and kickstart your self-love journey today!