Love Thyself, First

This week’s morning affirmation

Love thyself, first. I will not be able to provide anyone in my life the kind of love they need or deserve until I love myself whole.

We get so caught up into deadlines, goals, to-do lists, and quotas that we can’t find five or ten minutes to affirm our love to ourselves.

Everyone wants to love and be loved, but what about the most natural love of all --loving ourselves? My first affirmation of love, strength and hope each day goes to myself; however, this has not always been the case. There was a time when I thought affirmations were not necessary or just some silly life coach's way of trying to make a buck, but the truth is simple. I must feed my psyche with positive words, daily.

The way humans are programmed in the millennium; we can go a long way for a long time without nurturing our inner spirits. However, externally, people feed us with all types garbage that has the ability to slant our perception of ourselves. Whether it is that super slim model on TV, your husband's idea of the perfect housewife, or how your family or friends think you should act, our psyches will be fed. There will always be someone that appears to have it all, whilst you have not. There will also be people who thrive on making you feel inferior or inadequate in order to make themselves look and feel better.

There will always be moments of disappointment in ourselves, moments of spiritual mayhem, moments of distrust and confusion. These things are inevitable. However, it’s your choice whether to fall into that dark abyss of nothingness or be the master of your own universe. The choices are slim, but you must determine which side of the road you want to stand on when it comes to your life. Take your pick!

The breakdown of hope, strength, love, and the ability to have healthy relationships begin with the breakdown of hope, strength, love and ability to love one’s self. This is a vicious cycle that each of us must play an active part in if we want to keep the love for ourselves strong.

Finally, the aura that comes from the inability to love ourselves whole resonates like a drummer boy tip tapping, tip tapping at his drums and affects everyone that we come into contact on a daily basis. They hear your spirit. The question is do you want them to hear whimpers of internal misery or songs of joy.


Love thyself, first. I will not be able to provide anyone in my life the kind of love they need or deserve until I love myself whole.

Shani Greene-Dowdell (c) | 2008