Love yourself

Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person, R. Buckminster Fuller.

You, as much as anyone in the universe, deserve your love and affection, Buddha.

Learning to love yourself is key to a positive, healthy self-esteem. It is about loving yourself as you are, with all your strengths and weaknesses. It is realizing that you are worthy, irreplaceable, beautiful, and more than capable.

However, be confident, but not cocky. Cultivate a habit of accepting your mistakes and shortcomings and try to rectify and correct them. Value your effort and desire to improve and move forward.

In order to achieve success and have a fulfilling and meaningful life, you need to devote time to yourself, your hobbies, and to learning new things that interest you. We are talking about exploring new ideas and embracing new challenges, outside your confort zone, even though you don’t see an immediate or practical use for them at the moment. It is about improving your physical and mental health, recharging your batteries, growing and, above all, building significant and meaningful relationships.

It is essential to invest in your greatest asset: your health. Live an active lifestyle, practice regular physical exercise, take your personal hygiene very seriously, sleep well and have a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables. You also need enough time to rest, relax and unwind.

In this current western society, people are very individualistic, self-centered, and hedonistic. Sex is thought as harmless fun and freedom; beauty, money, fame, and power are all that matter, the supreme value. It is no wonder why there are so many people that are single and growing old alone. However, loneliness has been linked to depression. Chronic loneliness can increase the risk of cancer, sleep disorders, dementia, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes.

It is crucial that we learn to appreciate the need to interact with people. We should regularly participate in community projects and social activities. It is essential to socialize properly. We, as human beings, are social creatures by nature, we need to be part of a community, build meaningful relationships, and have a social support network.

You also need time to stop and reflect on your life: work, health, goals, relationships, leisure, spirituality, etc. You are not a headless chicken, an irrational machine always busy, working hard, and wandering relentlessly from one place to another, but a rational person with a soul.

We need time and space to reflect, to recharge, to figure things out, to make plans, to decide what actions are appropriate under current circumstances.

Now try this exercise. Imagine that you are on your death bed. What are you most likely to regret? You can read it on Inspiration and Chai: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me; I wish I didn’t work so hard (do you need so much income and stuff?); I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings; I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends; I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Realize that living a meaningful and fulfilling life is a choice, and so is happiness. Discriminate between the essential and the superfluous. Learn to set your priorities straight. Give enough time to the things that matter most, for example, spending quality time with your friends and loved ones and/or pursuing your passion and purpose. Of course, you need to work hard to turn it into something that can sustain you financially.

Always make a distinction between the urgent and the important. Sometimes, there are many urgent tasks that demand our attention: meetings, phone calls, paperwork, etc. It is so much work that the important but non-urgent tasks are left undone. If this situation is repeated in a hectic lifestyle and a stressful environment, full of obligations and a super tight schedule, then it may happen that we postpone these important tasks indefinitely, or we do not give them the time that they really deserve. That’s not the way to go. Something needs to change!