If you buy into the belief that our true purpose here on earth is to learn to love ourselves, well then how do you know that you’re doing a good job? or even that you DO love yourself?

Love can be hard enough to define when it comes to relationships. It often becomes a question of is it love or just excitement and novelty for new relationships and with longer lasting relationships – is it love or is it just comfortable?

The question for our own self love can be even more difficult to quantify.

Here’s a bash at some points that you may find useful in breaking down the love puzzle!

• Do you accept and embrace yourself for who you are?
• Do you give yourself permission to do the things you love to do?
• Do you fill your cup?
• Do you express yourself in an authentic way?
• Do you behave and act in a way that is really you?
• Do you accept your journey in life and where you are at today?
• Do you think kind and loving thoughts about yourself?
• Do you give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from it?
• Do you create time to play and have fun?
• Do you allow others to support you?

Is by no means extensive and our self-love needs to be in many directions. We need to love our physically bodies, our personality and emotional traits and then of course our spiritual self is another aspect that we need to embrace as it truly holds our feelings of connection to the world around us and our sense of purpose. In other words – what the hell are we really here for beyond paying the bills right ?

It’s possible to be really good in one direction and absolutely empty in love for ourselves in another. You will know if this is happening as your life will feel quite lob-sided and unhappy or even frustrating.

So what do we really get from self-love?

In my own experience and working with others, it can be quiet a journey to get to having any lasting sense of self-love.

Here’s how some of us would describe it:

More positive mind chatter and less listening to the nagging inner critic.

Feeling passionate about things we have in our lives.

Wanting and willing to go for ‘more’ in multiple directions in our lives.

Better relationships all round and attracting more positive people into our lives.

Confidence and getting on with things we want to do easier.

Happiness and the feeling of ‘I’m me in the world and loving being me’.

Wishing you love on your journey to loving you xo