It’s so easy to be critical and judgmental not only of others but of ourselves too. Instead of being our own best friends, many of us are our own worst critics, constantly berating ourselves for saying or doing the wrong thing, performing below par, or not being as successful as our next door neighbour.
When you look at yourselves in the mirror, do you see a perfect, dearly loved face or a flawed one? Do you see your loving eyes and warm smile or your misshapen nose and uneven skin tone? Unfortunately, for most of us, the mirror reveals only our blemishes and flaws, the features that we are convinced make us look unsightly to the rest of the world. In fact we are so used to seeing only our negative qualities that we simply can’t see the good in ourselves even though others can. And even if we do see that flawless skin or thick eyelashes, our minds are unable to hold on to the pleasant thought for long, and inevitably we descend into the spiral of negative thinking once again.
When our thinking is set to negative mode, it is important to make a conscious effort to focus on the positive in ourselves, even if it is only for a few minutes every day. The best time to do this is in the morning before you set out for the day. Louise Hay, best-selling author and motivational speaker, advocates looking at yourself in the mirror every morning and telling yourself “I love you” repeatedly to reaffirm your love for yourself. Once you begin to feel positive feelings flow through you at the sight of yourself in the mirror, make an effort to notice all those qualities that you like in yourself, aspects of your face and body that make you feel good and bring forth a smile. Then during the rest of the day, whenever you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, remind yourself of these positive qualities and of how much you love yourself.
Self-love is the foundation of a healthy self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. When you love yourself, you give more love to others and you also attract more love from others into your life. So begin a love affair with yourself today by looking at yourself in the mirror and telling yourself just how much you mean to yourself.