Principles of Self-Love — The Importance of Affirmations

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Self-love is the desire for oneself, an individual’s idea of self, and the ultimate state of that self. According to the Dictionary, the word was first used in the 18th century. According to the Oxford dictionary, the meaning is, “the love of one’s self.” Self-love, considered as the ultimate philosophy, both as an ethical imperative and a moral defect, has been conceptualized as both a basic human right, and an abomination, comparable to egoism, vanity, selfishness, and boastfulness, typically associated with hatred, enmity, and evil. It is a concept that is far too vague to be a worthy attitude or a desirable practice.

The concept of self-love is rooted on the observation that our actions or emotions, when they arise without our control, do not affect the people around us directly but rather, often more indirectly, by what they produce. To take an example from everyday life, consider the positive qualities of your character displays whenever you are sincerely grateful for something that someone has done for you. When you are intensely grateful for a job well done, for a gift or recognition, for any service offered, the energy generated by your gratefulness will generate an abundance of good energy within you, for it is a clear demonstration that you value and appreciate the goodness that others have given to you. That kind of abundant energy can turn into a negative backlash when we allow our negative emotions to overshadow our gratitude.

But when you practice the virtue of self-love and cultivate a mind-set of always feeling grateful for the good things that come your way, then you can cultivate a habit of being a giver rather than a taker. This habit of giving will generate a powerful inner flow of positivity that emanates from within you and has the power to attract all the good things that you want in life. When you practice this virtue, you will notice a remarkable change in the quality of your relationships with others. You will start to attract the appreciation, approval, and caring that other people want from you and will experience a genuine interest in them because you now realize the importance of being a good friend to them.

The second principle of self-love is to develop a sense of self-compassion as well as self-love. When you feel good about yourself and your…