How do you learn love yourself

  • Thread starter Thread starter PelagiathePenit
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I don’t know that this is something that someone “learns” like math or physics. I think it is more of a realization that one has been doing this all along. After all, I live with me every day and I take care of me every day so I must love me…right?

Of course I know that I am not perfect…never have been…but my imperfections haven’t killed me (though they made me do stupid things from time to time…:whistle:), and I have a new opportunity every day to be a little bit smarter - a little less imperfect.

Finally - since I realize that I DO love me - I realize that it does no good to beat myself up over not being perfect. I accept that I am not perfect, I try to do better, and then just offer everything up to God to do with as He wishes…

Hope this helps a little…
 
I agree with JRKH that loving oneself is not something we learn to do but something we realize we already do. How we come to that realization differs from person to person. It is in loving others, particularly those who are difficult to love (people who don’t love me, for example) that I understand everyone has something lovable about them despite their imperfections. “Everyone” includes me. 🙂
 
Become the Love (patience & kindness) of Jesus Christ, in accord with the Catholic Church, by making Him your beloved teacher! Focus especially on his patience and kindness in his passion and crucifixion.

Thanks for sharing the enjoyable food for thought!
 
You are God’s creature, so you must be lovable! You are human so you must have imperfectionsl
 
UpUpAndAway said:
I agree with JRKH that loving oneself is not something we learn to do but something we realize we already do. How we come to that realization differs from person to person. It is in loving others, particularly those who are difficult to love (people who don’t love me, for example) that I understand everyone has something lovable about them despite their imperfections. “Everyone” includes me. 🙂
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Hmm. Why do you say in loving others who are difficult we find everyone is possible of being lovable?
 
they call it a process. Well actually you have ask for the grace to love yourself.
Me. I went into a severe trial. It shook my self-image and identity. I went into a terrible self-pity and depression. It was so terrible I wanted to do things I dont want to do…but I can’t do because of my faith and because I know I am missing the point. At these times, no words could console me----nothing…It’s only by the grace of God that I slowly realized how God deeply loved me and never abandoned me.

One day I was in my regular mass routine. Then the priest was giving a homily about treasures and he explained that first and foremost, our identity is not what we think we are, but Jesus Himself–that we are loved. He then said that Jesus came down because I am His treasure. He became man and offered himself for me, because he deeply loved me. He treasured me. I am the treasure of Jesus. He also said that the point of the gospel is not the gravity of our sins but the love and mercy of God–the Love of Jesus…I am a treasure of God. I am deeply loved. He loves me so much that he laid down his life for me. After that, I cried a lot (it was only at that point that I understood that I am deeply loved. It washed all of my insecurities) It is really a grace from God–the realization itself. I doubt you would cry reading this one…but I did because it was the will of God that I realize I am deeply loved. He deeply impressed that in my soul…so it’s really grace…a great grace…

So if you want to learn to love yourself…I believe you should ask for this grace from God.
 
PelagiathePenit said:
Hmm. Why do you say in loving others who are difficult we find everyone is possible of being lovable?
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I actually don’t say that—I said I understand it to be that way, not that everybody will or even should. Sorry to be unclear.

The people I find most difficult to love are those with whom I am in conflict. That conflict can take many forms, but let’s just say I don’t get along with them. I make the effort to bear the presence of these people in my life with gentleness and patience, and some days it is a real struggle. But in treating them as I would have them treat me (instead of how they actually do treat me), I often discover something good about them. This makes it easier for me to love them and continue to treat them kindly despite their faults. It would make no sense to me, then, to love others despite their imperfections but not love myself due to my own.

YMMV, however. And none of this would be possible without God’s grace.

God bless!
 
You learn to love yourself first and foremost by doing your best to love God and your best not to offend Him. God bless you.
 
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