BROADCASTS.com

b'

This week, I do another solo episode and talk about self-love. My goal was to expand on some things that prevent us from honouring ourselves and not giving the love to ourselves that we constantly pursue from others. I also share some stuff from my book, The Pursuit of Self-Love: 30 Uplifting Messages and Thoughts, which is due for release in April. 

Expectations, comparisons, connection, solitude, forgiveness and humility, if framed appropriately, can improve the relationship we have with ourselves and build more love for ourselves. We create and set expectations daily in almost every aspect of life. Expectations on outcomes, on our employers, our friends and family and our loved ones. We even set expectations for ourselves. Anytime these expectations are not met, we turn against ourselves.

We also compare parts of our lives, if not everything, with some "ideal" or others without fully knowing everyone\'s story, further perpetuating our lack of love for ourselves. The only comparison we need to make is with a previous version of ourselves to determine our growth and progress. We also struggle with solitude at times. Finding stillness is uncomfortable and difficult because of what we may find. Therefore, most of us choose to distract ourselves with mundane things. In solitude, we can reflect, introspect and understand ourselves better.

We all crave deeper connections where we can be seen, heard and valued. However, we seek those connections externally, which can manifest as emptiness. However, when we form a deeper relationship with the self, we are in a better place and seek similar connections with others. Often we remain stuck and carry the burden of resentment. The antidote to that is forgiveness. Forgiveness can be for ourselves and others so we can let go and free ourselves. Stepping into love requires us to move past guilt, shame, despair and anger. Finally, humility allows us to keep a level head. Accepting mistakes and always seeking to understand while reminding ourselves that we do not have all the answers allows us to remain humble. Without humility, we block ourselves from self-love.

When we build love for ourselves, we have more to offer to others. Our cups are not empty. As Robin Sharma said: \\u201cIt is only when you have mastered the art of loving yourself that you can truly love others. It is only when you have opened your own heart that you can touch the heart of others.\\u201d