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Self-Love is the best love.

I was on a trip recently when I heard a familiar demonstration: If the cabin should experience a sudden loss of pressure, oxygen masks will be released automatically. Please secure your own mask before assisting anyone else.

I was traveling with my daughter, and the analogy became very clear to me very quickly. I can’t help her if I can’t breathe. Just like I can’t ask her to do something I don’t do. We’ve been working on cleaning up messes at our house lately and she is a perfect reflection of me. So instead of trying in vain to change her habits, I’m trying with everything in me to change mine – she is a mirror to my true self.

Self-love is the very same. We can’t love anyone, or expect them to love us, if we don’t first love ourselves. Self-love doesn’t mean letting your pride get the best of you, driving yourself and everyone around you crazy. Self-love is about treating ourselves the way we deserve – not neglecting our basic needs. Treating ourselves the way we’d treat others – that’s self-love. Give yourself a break – feed yourself good food, give yourself good sleep, let yourself explore your world.

So, here’s our plea for self-love. Be kind to yourself, be gentle and patient with yourself. Give yourself all the love you deserve – because you DO deserve it!!

This post is one in a series called “10 Questions.” Check back each week for another 10 question exercise to discover you, your goals, your gifts, and to help find a direction in various aspects of your life.

Use this 10 question exercise to help discover what self-love means to you!

1. A positive word I use to describe myself is…
2. My favorite personality trait about myself is…
3. My favorite physical train about myself is…
4. I am emotionally strong when…
5. I often see the good in others when…
6. I am kind to my body when…
7. I am kind to my mind when…
8. I am kind to my heart when…
9. I feel gratitude when…
10. I love myself when I…

Read more "10 Questions" now!