Sometimes saying “I Love You” to someone is easier than saying it to yourself. If that’s the case then maybe it’s time to begin with I Like Myself. If you can easily say that you like yourself then ask your friends or family members if they can say it, you might be surprised.
A few years ago I took that challenge and asked my 87 year old father if he could say “I like myself”, I was sadly surprised to watch him struggle with those words. After a productive, prosperous life it should be easy to say those simple three words. I’ve discovered that it does not come easily to many. Age has nothing to do with it, but it proves that self-healing can be done at any age and the sooner the better.
So why is it so difficult to say those three little words? Is it a belief that you are not worth liking? Nonsense. Let’s start by examining yourself to discover what you do like. Oh come on, there is something. What parts of your body do you like? Come on focus, maybe it’s your eyes, smile, nails knees or ankles. There may be many things you like about yourself and yes there will be a few you won’t like but that just means they need more or less attention. Focus on the feeling that is associated with liking that part. It probably puts a smile on your face. Imagine if you were to like everything about you, imagine the smile you would have and the great feeling that would radiate from the inside.
What about your brain, what do you like about that, maybe it’s your creativity, your organization abilities, your observing nature or your ability to reason. Discover what you like most about you, is your ability to think, plan or do. Then there is your personality, maybe you like that you are fun, outgoing, humourous, talkative or adventurous.
It’s not about others liking you, it’s about you liking you. You are the most important person in your world. When you truly like yourself, you won’t care what other perceive about you because you know in the bottom of your heart that you are likeable. Those that don’t like you may not like themselves either. Think about your friends, why do they like you.
If you are coming up a little short in the I like myself department, here’s a simple exercise that will change your life. Instead of growling at or ignoring every mirror you see, stop and look directly into your eyes and say “I like myself”, give yourself a nod and move on with what you were doing. Don’t look at all the things you don’t like, just look into your eyes. Once you have mastered that start saying it to yourself 1000 times a day. When you feel brave enough say it out loud to your family members. Ask them if they can say it, if not you can play the I like myself game with each other.
Being able to confidently say I like myself is not arrogant, conceded or anything close. It is confirmation to yourself that you simply like yourself. It’s a good thing. Now that you are self-assured that you like yourself, you may want to move to the next step… saying… I love myself. It’s not too far of a stretch is it?
