Did you know...

Regardless as to what degree you potentially agree or disagree with this right now, and in spite of what anyone else in your life might think currently or have said in the past, you are extraordinary!

There is no other person like you on the planet, so if you feel that you are different to everybody else, you're right! You are unique. So here's a suggestion. Instead of trying to be someone or something that you're not, how would it be to accept who you are and embrace your difference?

The vast majority of people want to be accepted, to be valued and to be loved by others, yet how many people accept themselves for who they are and what they bring? You have an absolute right to acceptance, to being valued and to being loved, not only by others, but by the most important person in your life right now, your extraordinary self!

So how do you learn to self-love?

In these difficult times, with so much uncertainty and anxiety around, it can be challenging to be sure about anything, but one thing you can be certain of: when you perceive yourself positively, when you genuinely love yourself for who you are and what you could be, you will find far more acceptance, love and respect from others too. And when I say self-love I'm not talking about selfishness or narcissism. What I'm referring to here is an honest connection with your authentic self.

As a starting point here are six things that I think will help you to improve the relationship you have with yourself and that you can start on right away:

Be self-aware. Recognise and reflect on the traits in yourself that make you unique. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and accept who you are and who you can strive to become.

Be creative. You don’t have to be a professional painter, writer or performer to create something. Creativity boosts self-worth and makes you feel good about yourself.

Be physically healthy. Demonstrate love and respect for your body. Quantity of physical exercise, quality of diet and levels of personal hygiene all directly link to how good we feel about ourselves. They all link to stress levels too and our mental well-being as a whole.

Be mentally healthy. Instead of primarily relying on others’ perception and opinion as to your worth, learn to love yourself more by self-affirming the value that you absolutely have and bring to those around you.

Be positive. Rather than let avoiding or disconnecting body language signal to yourself and others that the world is a negative place and that you have little to offer within it, hold your head high and look around you. Connect with the world and its occupants. In time this will build your self-confidence and your levels of self-worth.

Be generous. We achieve love, liberty and happiness in our lives by bestowing the same on others. It’s accepted knowledge that giving feels good, and that being generous benefits the giver as much as if not more so than the receiver of the gift. By bringing happiness to those around you, you will inevitably bring more happiness to yourself as well.

Once you have learnt to love yourself; when you've arrived at a place of self-acceptance, self-worth and self-love, you profoundly increase your capacity to be accepted, valued and loved by others.

Be fearless. Be you.

Andy Capie

Enabling insight - Inspiring growth - Empowering excellence