By Maria Mila, L&M Naples MultiServices Consulting Agency, www.naplesmultiservices.com
August is a month of great celebration for the female gender in the United States since the law that allowed women to exercise the right to vote was approved by Congress on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920. The Amendment 19 granted and guaranteed all American women the right to vote, this historical achievement was the result of a long struggle.
This landmark for women reminded me that there are many other intrinsic rights that we should “fight” on a daily basis but that we do not give them the true value they have. One of them is the right to love ourselves, to feel love for ourselves so we can have a healthy self-esteem that leads us to have healthy relationships.
What does this mean of “loving yourself”?
Loving ourselves is allowing us to bring out the best version of ourselves, it is giving oneself the opportunity to show the great potential that we have on a personal, emotional, professional and spiritual level. In addition, loving ourselves implies understanding our needs, accepting, respecting and loving the unique person that we are. It means committing to a life of well-being, committing to be in communion with the inner self to better relate to others.
When we look at ourselves from love and not from criticism, we live with optimism in the present and with that same optimism we can build a good future. To love oneself, is to stop demanding more of ourselves than we really can, is not allowing ourselves to be carried away by anxiety and underestimate who we are today. It means to give us the value that we deserve, it is necessary to break with the limiting beliefs that we carry from the past, those that condition our present and lead us to constantly think about the future. This way of living leads us to undervalue our talent, the wonderful traits of our personality and we lose the opportunity to appreciate what is actually happening today.
Loving ourselves implicates not to be afraid to show who we are in the different aspects of our lives. It means to dare to remove those shields that we put on and see reality, it is to accept the present with its obstacles and difficulties in order to better connect with others and with our personal goals.
When we are prepared to fight for the right to love ourselves, when we are freed from the pressure of not to fail, it is when the maximum personal development occurs
Loving oneself implies putting yourself first and no, it is not selfishness, it is self-care.
Celebrate yourself in the same way that you celebrate this milestone in the history of women’s rights in the United States and around the world.
If it appeals to you, practice it, if it appeals to someone else…. share it and thus you will be contributing to the growth and self-care that is necessary to evolve.
