Love Your Neighbor As Yourself - Just Be Sure To Love Yourself First

Love yourself first, because only then can you truly love your neighbor. Love yourself first, because love has to start within you before it can flow to anyone else. Love yourself first, because God loves us and doesn’t skip over us to love someone else. Love yourself first, because only by truly loving all the parts of yourself, can you truly see, understand, and love the parts of your neighbor.

Love yourself for all the flaws, mistakes, and missteps that you perceive in yourself. Love yourself and accept them as the parts of you that continue to hone you to be all that you want to be. Love yourself every time you fall, every time you misspeak, every time you err, because you learn who you aren’t by going through these things. Love yourself even though your actions beg you not to, because your actions may not be who you are but simply a test for who you aren’t. Love yourself through all of this, because only then can you love those that are searching for themselves in the same way and are losing the battle through their mistakes.

Love yourself for all the good that you are, all the good that you do, and all the good that you share. Love yourself by celebrating your goodness within and without. Love yourself by telling others of how you righted a wrong, or championed a cause, or helped someone in need, or simply did the right thing, because these acts are worthy to be heard and may inspire others. Love yourself because of these things, so that you can love and celebrate the good in those who are afraid to celebrate it in themselves.

Love yourself for the unique creation you are, with all your diverse personality characteristics, talents, and knowledge. Love yourself by recognizing and documenting your exceptionality on paper, in film, and on audio. Love yourself by sharing yourself with others, even though you may be afraid. Love yourself by putting yourself out there, because only then can you recognize the unique qualities in others that need to be encouraged rather than ignored, celebrated rather than discouraged, and praised rather than criticized.

But most of all, love yourself because you were loved first by your Creator. Love yourself because you were created out of love to be who you are. Love yourself because you were put in a place and a time for a reason. Love yourself because you are the only one who genuinely can for all the right reasons. Love yourself first, because love has to start somewhere and you have the heart and the will to begin. Love yourself first, because your neighbor and this world need the love that you have within you, the love that belongs and begins only in you.