It starts with loving yourself

A Valentine's wall at
The Summerhill market

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2025
Art -- Summerhill market staff

I had a wonderful day today painting, and visiting a good friend.  It was
also great to meet a young woman who works with my friend, who
has just fallen in love, and to talk about love as she smiled so
happily.  That made me think of this former post:

"When I taught Positive Psych one of the first things we said

to students was, "if you don't know yourself, you won't love 

yourself, and if you don't love yourself, you can't love anyone else,

and you won't be happy."

This was not a popular idea when I was growing up -- loving 

yourself smacked of narcissism.  But in fact nothing could be 

further from the truth. If we love and accept ourselves, the world 

is less about us, and more about the people we love.  It's when we 

don't love ourselves that we go around hurting other people, don't
end up doing what we love, and generally don't enjoy our lives.

I credit Louise Hay, excellent therapy and Frank Daley, who

wrote the book Who are you and what are you doing here? for

helping me get that concept, and then of course the constant work of 

quieting the ever present inner critic to keep the idea going. 

I know I'm lucky.  I love my life, my work, my family, my friends."

 

Have a loving yourself and your world day!