How to Love Yourself
/The information below is from an article entitled, “How to Love Yourself,” by Louise L. Hay.
Stop All Criticism: Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself your changes are positive.
Don’t Scare Yourself: Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It’s a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives your pleasure and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasant thought.
Be Gentle and Kind and Patient: Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved.
Be kind to Your Mind: Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don’t hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.
Praise Yourself: Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.
Support Yourself: Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it.
Be Loving to Your Negatives: Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill a need. So lovingly release the old negative patterns.
Take Care of Your Body: Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.
Mirror Work: Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents looking into the mirror. Forgive them too. At least once a day say: “I love you, I really love you!”
Love Yourself… Do It Now. Don’t wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or the new relationship. Begin now – and do the best you can.
Mirror Work
Look into your own eyes and say out loud: “I love you, I REALLY love you!” Do this first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Do it often during the day. If uncomfortable feelings come up… just feel them…let them pass through. Then repeat: “I love you, I really love you!”
Do your positive affirmations while looking in the mirror. If the affirmations feel false at first, do them anyway. Repeat: “I love you, I really love you!”
If something happens that is unpleasant for you, immediately go to the mirror and say: “It’s all right, I love you!”
If something wonderful happens, go to the mirror and say: “Thank you!” Acknowledge yourself for the good in your life.
Look into your own eyes and say: “I FORGIVE YOU AND I LOVE YOU!” Forgive other people in the mirror too. Use the mirror to talk to other people. Tell them things you are afraid to tell them in person. Tell them you want their love.
Have a mirror on your desk, or inside your desk. Keep a small one in your pocket to use at any moment. If people ask what you are doing, tell them. Let the word and method spread.
When you do this consistently, you can make great changes in less than a month.
