Tuesday, August 23, 2005

PROCLAIMING SELF-LOVE

I hereby proclaim the right that is ours to express our self-love openly, both privately and publicly (if desired), in a healthy manner.

Even though society’s values seem to be somewhat distorted, making it fine for people to indulge themselves with self-directed insults and whining about how life or the very person is not how an ideal is pictured to be, I beg to differ. I don’t agree that I should be praised if I hurt myself, and looked down upon if I admit that I love me.

It is not only perfectly OK, but it is necessary to learn how to appreciate and respect ourselves enough to be able to regain our natural state of happiness. Human beings were not made to be miserable; those of us who are simply choose to be- myself included, whenever I do. That’s getting old. There ought to be another way to live.

It’s time to choose something better. We can do this RIGHT NOW.


Try to tell yourself, “I love you,” within you. Or, better yet, get a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and direct those same three words to you, OUT LOUD. Go, try it! How easy or hard is it to tell you that? Do you think it’s silly to do it? So, you think it’s silly to love yourself- the most important person in your life, the only human being who knows how you think and feel about everything, the only person that is with you 24/7 no matter what? Who can possibly love you better? (God, of course, but thinking just people- WHO?)


Is it really more important to go beyond our way to please others and show them how much we love them, OK to send another flowers, and dedicate songs or buy their favorite chocolate, and not OK to do this for you?

Even if we don’t like to admit it, however satisfied or not we are about life and the people that surround us reflects the state of our self-esteem. We can only love if we are loving ourselves, we can only hate if we are hating ourselves. Also, the fact that we postpone doing the very things that we know will help us indicates that our self-worth requires a tune-up. My younger brother refuted me on this when we were talking about him quitting smoking, but that’s OK, no one has to accept it for to be true. I do include myself in all of this. I am aware that this is something we have to take care of daily, but I’ve noticed that in doing so I feel so much more dignified than I used to, so worth my efforts. Of course, it's a huge challenge since we are programmed to live externally and place our own value in the hands of other people. (I have a bumper sticker on my bedroom mirror that says I Love Myself as a reminder.)

This is something I used to get myself into the self-loving habit: I'd ask myself, “What would I love someone else to give me- a friend, parent, sibling, teacher, co-worker, etc.?”


Do I really have to wait until one of them thinks of this and guesses I would love that? NO! Do I have to beg of them to give that to me? NO! I can give that same thing to me. (And then, if they eventually do it too, simply better.)

I could go on about this, but I think it’s a long enough post. Conclusion? If you want someone to lend you a hand, look at what you have at the end of both arms. Love yourself first. This is not selfish, it’s actually selfless.

How? The happier and more self-loving that you are, the more joy and caring you will have to share with others. You can only give what you have, you can only share who you are...

Let's remember, it all flows from within.

6 comments:

annush said...

YOu know, when i started reading this as I finished the first paragraph I was like "is she talkign about masturbation??" hahaha

But I like the post. I agree with you. It shoul dbe okay for people to love themselves not just to live in a world of self deprecation.

None said...

thanks michi por este post!

Kiki A.Ortiz said...

no puedo estar mas de acuerdo..
ahora falta ponermelo de ley.

Chelle said...

nush- haha! needless to say, that wasn't the point!

nich- siempre! :)

kik- ah, yes, la parte dificil... pero no imposible.

anonymous said...

i have a t-shirt that says I love me.. i smile whenever i wear it.. or do i wear it because im smiling?? hmm

Chelle said...

hahaha

yo kiero!