Love Yourself

The following article is an extract from a book written by Louise Hey who is one of the guiding lights of my life. Thank you Louise for inspiring me. I have applied a bit of formatting.

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Love yourself

I have found that there is only one thing that heals every problem, and that is: to love yourself. When people start to love themselves more each day, it's amazing how their lives get better. They feel better. They get the jobs they want. They have the money they need. Their relationships either improve, or the negative ones dissolve and new ones begin.  Loving yourself is a wonderful adventure; it's like learning to fly. Imagine if we all had the power to fly at will? How exciting it would be! Let's begin to love ourselves now.  Here are 12 Commandments to help you learn how to love yourself:  Stop All Criticism. Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.  Forgive Yourself.Let the past go. You did the best you could at the time with the understanding, awareness, and knowledge that you had. Now you are growing and changing, and you will live life differently.  Don't Scare Yourself.Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought.  Be Gentle and Kind and Patient.Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved.  Be Kind to Your Mind. Self-hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.  Praise Yourself.Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.  Support Yourself.Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it.  Be Loving to Your Negatives.Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So lovingly release the old negative patterns.  Take Care of Your Body.Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise do you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.  Do Mirror Work.Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself while looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents while looking into the mirror. Forgive them, too. At least once a day, say, "I love you, I really love you!"  Love Yourself... Do It Now. Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or find the new relationship. Begin now—and do the best you can.  Have Fun. Remember the things that gave you joy as a child. Incorporate them into your life now. Find a way to have fun with everything you do. Let yourself express the joy of living. Smile. Laugh. Rejoice, and the Universe rejoices with you!

It is now time for you to release old beliefs and old habits, and the meditations and treatments within these pages can help you build your confidence as you make necessary changes in your life. 

This is a time of awakening. Know that you are always safe. And also know that it's possible to move from the old to the new, easily and peacefully. 

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What shall I now release from my life?

What or who no longer works for me?

What am I holding on to that holds me back?

What thoughts or beliefs belong to the old me?

How am I being unloving to myself?

What do I believe that really works for me?

Am I ready to let go?

What is going on in my life that is terrific and wonderful?

Where am I being very loving to myself?

Where am I most content?

What do I want to bring to my life?

How do I want the next year to be?

Who do I want to bring into my world?

How do I want to look?

What image do I want to project?

How healthy do I want to be?

How prosperous do I want to feel?

What kind of world do I want to live in?

Where do I want my spirituality to go?

How much love am I willing to experience?

Take time to acknowledge all of your positive growth and change in the last year.

Then affirm:

I am not limited by statistics, medical opinions, time or authorities.

I am one with the infinite wisdom and capabilities of the Universe itself.

All good is available to me, right here and right now.

All I have to do is to use the power of my thoughts to create that which I desire.

And so it is! I wish you a fabulous 2012!

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Thank you dear Louise.