By: Jessica Gambin
Self Respect. A term used to describe the love and gratitude a person has for themselves. But, why is it important to love yourself? Well, respecting yourself is especially important now due to the current state of the world. Out of all the people in your life, you most likely spend more time with yourself then you do anyone else. Learning to love who you are can boost your confidence, make you care less about what others think of you, as well as help you to love others more.
Everyone is hard on themselves at some point in their lives. Think about all the times you have been upset with yourself and felt like you failed over the littlest thing. Why were you so upset about it? Sometimes our brain tells us that we need to be perfect at everything. Instead of learning from our mistakes and using them to improve, we choose to put ourselves down. However, we are always going to make mistakes. It happens. The only positive and beneficial thing you can do is learn from it. You should learn to love yourself even though you make small mistakes because if you don’t, you could end up in a never ending cycle of negativity and doubt. Have confidence and courage when you start a big project, have an upcoming test, or go to a job interview. You are an amazing person and are one-hundred percent capable of getting through anything!
Have you ever been in a public space surrounded by other people and wondered “Are they judging me?” or “Am I being annoying?” Caring about other people's opinions can affect your self-esteem, especially if their opinion is mean and rude. Sometimes when we don’t have our own clear opinion on something, we tend to listen to the opinions of others instead. However, if the opinion of another person is rude and negative it can be taken to heart. Sure, you can take some constructive criticism from certain people based on specific topics (for example, a teacher's feedback on a project) but, when it comes to your appearance or personality, the only opinion that should matter is your own. You are your own unique person, with valid thoughts and feelings!
There’s a saying that goes “You can’t love other people until you love yourself.” But, what does this mean exactly and what does it have to do with respecting ourselves? Well, think about this: How are you expected to show love and compassion towards other people when you’re struggling to even love who you are? Love is hard. It’s a complex feeling that is difficult for some people to express and can be even more difficult to find for yourself. However, once you’re able to find that love and respect for who you are, then showing appreciation for others might be a little bit easier. It may even improve some of your relationships.
All in all, your self-worth is important and the way you treat yourself is very crucial to your mental well-being. If you’re going through something difficult right now remember that you are an incredible human being and you are doing a great job!
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