One of the most pleasant sensations we may have in life is being loved, whether it comes from a partner, friend, or family member. But external love is not the only form of love. Firstly, you should establish a love relationship with yourself. You can only love people properly when you have enough love for yourself. The act of self-love entails accepting and valuing one’s own dignity, traits, and worth rather than seeking the approval or validation of others. Loving yourself involves treating yourself with consideration and respect. Self-love does not always include elevating oneself above others; rather, it entails accepting yourself for who you are, qualities and flaws included.
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The first step in developing self-love is realizing that you cannot rely on others for love, pleasure, or respect. The virtue of self-love is that when you love and respect yourself as much as you love and appreciate people around you, you develop emotional independence, stop looking to others for approval and assurance, and even stop being afraid of being alone because you know that you have yourself. When you love yourself, you develop an attitude of acceptance, accept your circumstances in life, always take responsibility for your actions, and look for opportunities for personal development.
Additionally, self-love raises your level of happiness and causes you to look at yourself in a new way that assists in your academic or professional advancement. When you accept who you are, you stop comparing yourself to others, which boosts your confidence, eliminates negativity from your life, and makes you more optimistic. So, if you have low confidence and insecurities, and are always seeking approval from others, just start practicing self-love and learn to accept and appreciate yourself since self-love is the cornerstone of all other types of love, peace, and pleasure in this world.