
You may not realize that you have thousands of self-criticizing, negative thoughts about yourself until you begin to tune in and listen.
If you are going to learn to love all of who you are, which I believe is one of the most difficult lessons for anyone to learn, you will find it in this pure, heartful space where you embrace the person you have been in all your glory and imperfections.
If you do not open your compassionate heart to yourself, you are guaranteed to be haunted by the cries from within and destined to set yourself up for the next round of self-sabatoge. Your critical self talk is a one way ticket to a place of loneliness and isolation.
People always tell me, "But I love part of myself," but they miss the point. Part of you isn't the whole of you. Self-love is about loving the whole, complete person that you are.
You can discover where you are not loving yourself, knowing that every word that you say, every thought you think, even if you cannot hear it or you are not listening, affects the way you feel about yourself and ultimately how much confidence you truly have inside.
Self love will ask you to bring a clear and kind awareness to the vulnerable part of yourself, where you can genuinely say, "I'm sorry" for the times you second guessed yourself, for the things you have done that make you feel bad for the ways you have punished or deprived yourself, for the guilt you have carried for which you continue to shame yourself.
In other words, you can open your heart to you, over and over and over again.
Debbie Ford - Courage