Self-love is the greatest medicine.
Self-love is the greatest medicine.
Do you genuinely love yourself?
Platitudes notwithstanding, how exactly do you demonstrate this to yourself?
When you take personal inventory and you look in the mirror, are you saying kind things to yourself?
We all have a propensity to push ourselves to achieve more, earn more, work more, look better. Some of the methodologies that help us to accomplish these goals are very healthy, whereas others, not so much.
If we put ourselves mentally into a competition with others, we might often find ourselves coming up second. In that scenario, are we truly being gentle creatures to the person we most need to love? From the moment we enter school, we are finding ourselves ranked amongst our peers. This ranking system accelerates the older we get… through countless other categories in education, sports, academics, artistry and other pursuits.
Society rewards the highest achievers. So by definition, a lot of people will not be rewarded. That scenario perpetuates certain degrees of disappointment. This is not only relegated to humans, the animal kingdom continuously battles for mating rights and other privileges. The higher order of things is part of living on planet Earth. Survival of the fittest is the essence of evolution.
If such a large percentage of the population is going to find itself in a position that is secondary to the highest on the pecking order, what options are available to keep one’s mental sanity in a position of strength, when the larger societal spectrum is viewing it as less than best?
The overwhelming answer must stem from within the individual. Competition is a remarkably advantageous benefit to humanity. It has propelled us into countless innovations that have taken us quantum distance from the caveman first mastering fire. But competition in and of itself is not the only solution. Part of the answer must stem from an individual recognizing that they must treasure all that is them. One’s body is one’s temple, so if one is not staying focused on keeping oneself healthy, mentally and physically, one is more likely to fail.
With the advent of social media, the comparative nature of society only escalated with followers and likes. This does create a distortion in self-esteem in numerous ways. We are often witness to individuals whose narcissistic desires necessitate continuous posts of themselves in a manner that is strictly looking for external validation from others. If we are not prudent to detach ourselves from some of society’s mechanisms, including Madison Avenue generating insecurities through the broadcast of perceived perfection, we are equally likely to find internal disappointment.
Self-love comes in many different ways. We find it through our mental processes, the things we read and study, the friends we choose to spend time with, the nutritional supplements we opt to intake, the physical regimens we use to keep ourselves healthy and much more. Nothing stands between you and what you desire other than your own physical thought.
If you find yourself becoming a victim to the societal pressures that give you cause to feel you are less than what you truly are, I would advise that you take a mental retreat and learn to love all of the aspects that make you unique. There is no one else like you…and by definition, you are very special. So treat yourself as such. Happy Sunday!
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