Life
Love is great in all its forms — but if you ask me, there's no better form of love than self-love. It's not always an easy journey, but it's so important to learn how to have a healthy relationship with yourself. Of course, it's always nice to feel loved and appreciated by other people, but if you love yourself, you won't rely as much on external validation in order to feel good about yourself.
"Self-love is all about building your self-esteem and self-image," psychoanalyst Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., tells Bustle. "The idea is to use your ideal self as your guide, not expecting to reach it, but to give you direction and a hopeful outlook. We often depend on others for validation, but it’s important to have your own internal compass."
We all struggle with our own individual insecurities, but that doesn't mean we can't also love ourselves, and find things about ourselves to admire and appreciate. Even (or perhaps especially) on days where you feeling down on yourself, it's important to remind yourself of all the things you love about yourself — which is exactly what Twitter users are doing using the hashtag #ILikeMeBecause. If you want a little inspiration, here are 13 empowering tweets that showcase the importance of self-love.
1
Choose Optimism Over Everything
It's not always easy to be optimistic, but searching for the positive in any given situation is definitely something to admire in yourself.
2
Don't Let The Haters Get You Down
As long as you like yourself, it won't matter as much when others don't — and your haters will only be irked more by your indifference to their opinion of you.
3
Cast Off Negativity
We all go through difficult phases in life, and it can be hard to muster up hope for the future during those times. If you make an active effort to be more positive and hopeful, that's a super admirable thing.
4
Survive & Thrive
There are so many industries dominated by men — and being able to not only survive but thrive in one of those industries as a woman is extremely laudable.
5
Appreciate Your Flaws, Too
Self-love isn't just about appreciating your good qualities: it's also about acknowledging and appreciating your less-than-ideal traits.
6
Be Happy In Your Own Skin
There's always room for self-improvement, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy with all of who you are in the meantime as you gradually improve yourself.
7
Be (Self) Lovable
Some people are naturally just so darn lovable — and if you're one of those people, that's something to celebrate about yourself.
8
Appreciate Your Humor
IMHO, there's nothing wrong with laughing at your own jokes; after all, if *you* don't think you're funny, who else will?
9
Always Be Yourself
One of the most admirable traits a person can have? The ability to stay true to who they are, even when others are pressuring them to change or pretend to be someone they're not.
10
Be Someone Others Can Rely On
Being described as "reliable" might not be the most glamorous adjective, but there's nothing lame at all about being someone whom others can count on when they need it most.
11
Keep Your Word
Is there anything worse than someone who constantly breaks their promises? If you're someone who values and sticks to their word, that's something that shouldn't go unappreciated by yourself.
12
Lead By Example
When it comes to self-love, leading by example is a great way to look at it: if it's clear to others that you love and accept yourself, it'll be easier for them to love and accept you, too.
13
Be A Good Friend
There are few things in life as important as friendship, and being a good, loyal friend is something that you can always be proud of.
We all have our own unique qualities (both good and bad) but there's one thing we all have in common: a need to love and be loved — by others, but more importantly, by ourselves. So the next time you catch yourself putting yourself down, stop, take a moment, and tell yourself some of the things you love about yourself instead.
