Self -Love: Kristyna Cochran


What is Self-Love? Why is it important? How do you cultivate it? According to Merriam Webster, Self-Love is appreciation of one's own worth or value. 

Without love for oneself, how can another love thyself? 

Developing Self-Love begins with understanding and knowing who you are. Knowing who you are begins with a relationship with God, the Most High. Without a firm relationship with the Most High, you are faced with a lack of self. God says so much great things about you. 

God says, you are strong, Philipians. 4:13. You are amazing, Psalm. 139:14. You are capable, Mark. 20:27. You are chosen 1. Thesselonians 1:4. You are never alone, Matthew 28:25. You are always loved, Romans 8:39. You are beautiful, Ecclesiastes 3:11. You are victorious, Romans 8:37. You are enough, 2 Corinthians. 12:9. 

Once you have a relationship with God, and come to know who you are, loving your self becomes a little more easy. Here are four steps that I have learned that help develop self-love. 
1. Stop Comparing yourself to others - Often times we get wrapped up in where we are in life and we find ourselves comparing ourselves to others. You might feel as if you started at the same place as someone else, but you are on different planes. You wonder what did you do wrong, however, you've done nothing wrong. You are right where you need to be. It's so cliche. It's hard not to compare yourself to others, however, comparing yourselves to others can lead you down a dangerous path. It leaves you more focused on others rather than yourself. 
2. Don't worry about others opinions - We've all heard the old saying, opinions are like assholes, everyone has them. Trusting in the Most High and yourself will allow you to be so secure with your opinions that when someone else has an opinion you are able to brush it off as a different perspective than yours or demonstrate the ability to view and understand others perspective without taking offense. Don't worry about others opinions. Stay true to yourself and trust in God. Knowing what God says about you is more significant than knowing what others say about you. 
3. Trust yourself - Trust that you can make decisions for yourself. Trust that you are capable of love through self love. Stay true to yourself. Know who you are so that you may not let anyone divert you from your truth. 
4. Put yourself first - Put yourself first. Know that you matter. In order for you to take care of someone else's needs, your needs must be met. You can't be afraid to say "no". This has been one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn. You cannot sacrifice your needs in order to help someone or be there for someone else. Eventually you will get burnt out and the, "what about me feeling,” will creep up on you. Set boundaries and be firm.

How can you show yourself self-love? Think about the things that you love to do, do it and don't stop doing it. Love yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Be true to yourself. Self -Love. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poem A Day: From Chapel to Hearse

Poem A Day: From Chapel to Hearse; This poem was written circa 2004-2005. I remember reading it to someone in high school and they responded with, "I was deep." Not the first and definitely not the last time I was told that. I enjoy reading my poetry that I wrote years ago. It helps me remind me of emotions I felt during that time. It also reminds me of how far I have came as a writer/poet.  From Chapel to Hearse   I admire your features, Think of me at your own leisure, I'm measuring you, Asking how long is a meter, Hop in my two-seater, Take a ride with me, Don't take this relationship lightly, I think of you highly, I want to be with you nightly, I got a fetish for your body, Looking at you arouses me, I'm anticipating you being my spouse to be, Come lay with me, stay with me, Hold me, take hold of me, Make the most of me, Everything about you is intriguing, Without you, there is no meaning, Your heart is in good keeping, ...
Read more

Do You Remember?

 Do you remember your first period? I remember when I had my first period. I was twelve, actually closer to thirteen. It was in September, my birthday is in October. I wasn't feeling well at my grandmother's funeral, and when we got home, I notified my mother that something was different. I knew what to do because she we discussed the inevitable frequently.  I got sick, I mean real sick. I was sick to the point that everything on my body ached especially my lower abdomen and back. I had diarrhea where I ran to the bathroom frequently, headaches, hot and cold flashes, and most of all I vomited to the point where it was just bile coming up. Not to mention a week/two weeks before I started my period, I would experience PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). My mood swings were/are sometimes dangerous.  I remember dreading my period coming up because of how it made me feel; still to this day I usually have the same feeling. My period warranted me the option of staying home from school ...
Read more

Poem of the Day: Will Tomorrow Ever Come

Poem A Day: Will Tomorrow Ever Come By: Kristyna Cochran written circa early 2000's.  WILL TOMORROW EVER COME Today I woke up with cold in my eyes, Washed it out, and had pink eye, I thought will tomorrow ever come, Went to the doctor, he gave me eye drops, He said I still had to go to school, My heart stopped, I thought will tomorrow ever come, They started talking about me, I punched everyone that said something bad about me, I thought will tomorrow ever come, I got suspended from school for three days, I got home and thought I could play, Mama picked me up and acted all nice; gave me a kiss, She got all the plates and bowls out the cabinet, And I had to wash every dish, I thought will tomorrow ever come, While I was sneaking out to play basketball, I broke my ankle, I came back in, and momma gave me a whooping I couldn’t handle, I thought will tomorrow ever come, I went to sleep with bruises on my back, I thought will tomorrow ever com...
Read more