Imagine A World of Self-Love – What is Self-Love?
Watch this inspiring powerful 3 minute video to FEEL why SELF-LOVE is SO important to YOU and those you love. Let the video reconnect with the LOVE you have inside yourself, for the beautiful girl, woman, you are.
And then join us in the self-love movement to reclaim the real definition of self-love, by posting YOUR DEFINITION of self-love here on the self-love blog.
Why?
Can you believe that is what the dictionary defines self-love as? Right from dictionary.com – self love is “conceit, vanity and narcissism” or “excessive regard for one’s own advantage.”It’s no wonder we have such a hard time CHOOSING the self-loving act for ourselves.
You’ve been conditioned at a very deep subconscious level to believe giving love to yourself selfish, and being called selfish in our society is like being branded with a scarlet letter.
Painting by Love Ambassador Sue Bevins www.JoinTeamLove.com
When I first read this definition of self-love after my first book Choosing ME Before WE was published, I about fell out of my chair. I couldn’t believe my eyes and sadly it made all the sense of why when I would get comments from people like, ‘Self love is hippy dippy.’ ‘I can’t take care of myself first, that would be selfish.’
Or why when I would go speak at colleges or conferences smart women and girls would be totally with me when I talked about self-esteem, but when I started talking about self-LOVE they would get nervous, shrink in their seats, fidget. And it made me so sad, and mad.
Sad because… Why is love when it’s directed towards yourself any different than when you direct it to another? It’s not. Love is love. And we all know that loving other people isn’t selfish, it’s beautiful. And so is loving yourself.
And mad because… The self-esteem message we’ve been given that we can do and be anything isn’t the panacea for happiness, in fact it’s stressing most of us out… and not addressing the deeper parts. Smart women and girls (and men and boys too) are still having abusive relationships, still starving themselves, criticizing themselves, and pressuring themselves to live into some kind of unsustainable reality (did you know that girls today have stress symptoms once only found in 50 year old men… and that 1 in 4 women will die of heart disease, and that 70% of disease can be traced to stress?)
Since I couldn’t locate the person in charge of creating such harmful definitions (who is this person anyway??), I decided to take matters in my own hands and start a revolution of self-love — I made a movie, founded the international day of self-love and created very tangible ways to make LOVE for yourself something real for yourself, your children and others you love.
Today in honor of self-love day (Feb 13th) in today’s letter, I invite you to join me in this revolution to IMAGINE A WORLD OF SELF LOVE and join in RECLAIMING THE REAL DEFINITION of SELF LOVE, i want to hear from you and blanket the world with the truth of self-love together.
Post your definition of self-love here and I’ll take all these definitions to create a piece of art that reflects what self-love REALLY IS!
For example, from Madly in Love with ME, the Daring Adventure to Becoming Your Own Best Friend, page 47 – “Self love is the unconditional love and respect that you have for yourself that is so deep, so solid, so unwavering that you only choose situations and relationships – including the one with yourself – that reflect that same unconditional love and respect.”
Now your turn… post here. And I’ll send you some love back + include you in the art piece.
To learn more about being true to yourself read my book:
Madly in Love with ME: The Daring adventure of becoming your own best friend
-
[…] & Self-Respect Self-Pleasure Self-Trust Self-Worth Uncategorized http://madlyinlovewithme.com/imagine-world-self-love-self-love/ I wanted to share this video from one of my favorite authors Christine Arylo. She has set aside […]
Leave a Comment
self love is appreciating..acknowledging and embracing all of me..not because of any special accomplishment…simply because of who I am…a perfectly imperfect whole child of God…and engaging only in situations and relationships that honor that!
Ivette- you hit the love nail on the head! yes yes to embracing, appreciating, and acnkoweldging who we are simply because we are ME, child of the divine 🙂 xoxo
Self love is having the courage to recondition the lies in our minds, through elevating our consciousness so our souls can evolve.
Taylor Marie – self love courage, yes! xo
Self-love is appreciating and respecting the one and only person you were put on this planet to be!
Caroline – beautifully said. thank you for your contribution. xox
Self love is a living thing, growing, always new and developing. It’s not hard, fixed or static. It’s beautiful, colorful, creative, flowing, inventive, healing, beneficial. It inspires and flutters like a butterfly, creates serene graceful ripples like the pebble in the pond. It’s wholesome and good blessing me and everyone in my life. It’s humbling (in a good way) were I say “God, you did not make a mistake when you made me and I will chose You -God is Love- to help make all of my traumas somehow be for my good and the good of those in my life and the good of my life’s work. I’m ready to work with You to turn that pain into a lustrous pearl.” Amen
Vivienne – indeed God did not make a mistake in making you or me or anyone = thank you! xox
Self love is surrendering to the miracle that is you, replacing every sign of resistance with a hug. 🙂
Sabine – i love the word miracle here with self love and the hug ! xoxo
Self love is appreciating me for the special gifts that I bring to the world.
Indeed Glenda! you are special. and yes to all of us remembering that being special isn’t selfish. it’s self love and that can only be good. xoxo
Self-love is total acceptance of the essence of your being, the deepest and most intimate part of your soul. It is embracing and nourishing that huge foundation to who you truly are, listening to its guidance and wisdom no matter what insults our harsh society throws at us.
Kendra – yes to listening to our wisdom no matter what! xoxxo
Self-Love is looking into my eyes in the mirror each day and saying to myself, I love, I really just love you,just the way you are, I forgive you, I bless you, I respect you, I believe in you, I thank you… say this every time I look in the mirror, hugging myself, smiling at myself in the mirror, blowing a kiss to myself in the mirror…Yay 🙂
Kyan – you make me smile and I LOVE your definition of self love – thank you for sharing! xox
I just want to tell you that I think the video I just saw on self love with the women- and the girls!- on the red love seat,was brilliant.
You ought to send it to Michelle Obama. I think it’s a fabulous visual for a major campaign for the important concept of self care, love, Respect, and freedom for women.
Tell me what you think, and if I can work with you on that one.
Regards, Kathy
Kathy – I LOVE IT! and yes to major campaign on self love and YES would love your help in any way possible – email me at christine.arylo@daretoliveyou.com xoxoxo
Self-love to me is caring for your own needs and desires. Self-love is accepting yourself the way you are, but also believing that you are worthy of love.
xoxo
Colleen – yes to all three parts of self love you expressed here. Being worthy of love, caring for your own needs and accepting yourself. right on ! xxo
Self Love is Amazing, happiness and connection to the Divine.
Sheryl – yes to connection to the divine – i don’t know how to have self love without the divine! xox
Self love is the seed for all other love. As infants we are totally accepting of ourselves and love exploring who we are. We extend this love to others and it flows back to us. Unfortunately, at some point, the acceptance of others becomes more important than caring about and for ourselves. And we lose someone very special who is still waiting to be rediscovered.
Beautiful metaphor Lisa – self love is the seed for all other love. beautiful. xoxo
Self love to me is loving myself. Loving my body, my soul, my mind. Unconditionally loving myself spiritually, mentally and physically by pampering myself, respecting myself, only putting myself around positive energy. I have a saying. Be what you want. I am being what I want and trying to be true to myself on the sub conscious soul level. When we as women take really good care of ourselves, we are more aware to be in the moment with our family and friends. We have something valuable, genuine and sincere… REAL, to give back… It is the opposite of selfish! Self-LOVE IS SELFLESS. A selfless choice in behavior which prepares us to be completely available, aware and conscious so we are better able to be there for ourselves and others…
Teresa – thank you. Self love is selfless. Yes! we are so much more available to others. thank you. xoxo
The message is clear…when we take the time to stop looking or excepting what others say is wrong with us and concentrate on the right, beautiful and truth of who we are that’s when we meet success.
Anne – yes! focusing on what is right beautiful truth of who we are – self love. xoxox
Self-love to me is totally caring and loving myself for exactly who I am right now and knowing in my heart that, that is enough. I am perfect, whole and complete.
Terry – yes yes yes – WHO I AM RIGhT Now is enough. exactly, well said! xo
Self-love is being able to say no, even if you know the other person(s) will be disappointed. It is choosing to honor yourself and trust that your decision, however scary it may be, will bring you closer to manifesting the life that you envision for yourself.
Karin – indeed! Powerful self love vow to say NO to stay true to yourself. wise woman 🙂
To me self-love is doing, being and becoming everything that I need to do, be and become to discover and bring to the world the greatest depths and most expansive self that I am. Thankyou.
Rowena – beautiful – i esp love the greatest depths and most expansive self that i am! aho. xo
Thinking to myself, I am love, I am love,over and over, the truth of us all, makes me so happy…; )
Lesley – i love this image of you – yes happy! xoxo thank you.
Thank You Christine Arylo! I truly admire what you are doing here. When we love our self unconditionally (the only real love there is)…. we can begin to love others unconditionally. We can Be Love in this world. It’s our greatest gift to ourselves and to the world.
Thank you janet – love received. Thank you for being a beacon of love in the world. xoxo
Self-love is agreeing with my self not to work with people who are abusive or short with me because I am not behaving as they need me to behave. It is loving my self enough to trust the Universe that someone else can do that job and knowing, deep within, that I DO NOT have to be abused by anyone to be successful!!! Thank you for the love reminder, Christine; I love you and all that you do!!! 🙂
self love creating JOY -JOY creat energy to becomimg A magnet pepole love to be around you that simpele shift =health <3 xoxoxo
Self-love is treating myself the way I would treat my best friend. It is like the Golden Rule in reverse. Do unto myself as I would do for others! After all, how can you really love someone else genuinely until you love yourself first?
Jane -yes exactly – the golden rule of love for us all. xoxo
Self-love is accepting who I am, and being open to learning new things about myself. But also acknowledging my life experiences contribute to where I am emotionally, and accepting where others are on their own journey.
Sheila – yes to accepting who you are!! and to learning new things -loving ourselves more each day. xo
Self-Love is being Authentic, Sovereign, is being Truthful, Is Being The Full Expression of Your Essence in All of Your Own Distinct Light, YoUnique Colours, Sounds, in your Pure Creativity. Is knowing and Feeling that You are Worthy, Emanating your Brilliance.
Cecilia – Thank you for your contribution – YES to emanating your own brilliance! xox
Self-love is an everyday, very loving, journey deep into the soul, where a kaleidoscope of emotions abide.
Susan thank you for the kaleidoscope image – beautiful!