Self-love is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot—especially these days. But what does it actually mean to love yourself? For many people, that question never even enters their minds, let alone becomes part of their daily practice.
For me, the journey to self-love has been deeply personal, spiritual, and ongoing. I first touched on this topic in a TikTok video, but I wanted to go deeper here—share where I started, what changed, and how I practice self-love in my everyday life.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula. My journey may look different than yours, and that’s okay. My hope is that some part of what I share resonates with you and maybe inspires your own self-love practice.
Before I dive into the steps, I want to make something clear: I’ve never struggled with loving my mind. I don’t have experience with mental illnesses like depression, ADHD, OCD, or similar conditions. If you do, I honor your path—it’s just not one I can speak to from experience.
With that said, here are the five key realizations that changed the way I see and love myself.
1. We Are Spiritual Beings Having a Human Experience
This one was a game-changer for me. We’re not just humans who occasionally have spiritual moments—we are spiritual beings first. Our souls, our energy, our essence—that’s who we really are. This body? This life? Temporary.
Knowing that made it easier to extend love and grace to myself. If I’ve lived many lives before, if I’ll live many more, why wouldn’t I love myself in this one? This perspective reminds me that I’m part of something bigger—and it grounds my self-love in that knowing.
2. I Love My Soul—My Higher Self
When I say I love my soul, I mean I love the highest version of me. My oversoul. My higher self. She knows everything I’ve been through across lifetimes. She sees the big picture and always wants the best for me—because she is me.
It’s easy to love someone who loves you unconditionally. That’s what my higher self is to me. She’s wise, patient, and supportive, and loving her helps me feel whole.
3. I Love My Cells
This step is a bit more unusual, but it’s become one of the most powerful. One day, it hit me: my cells—each one of them—has consciousness. They make up this entire universe that is my body, and in a way, I’m like a god to them.
That thought shifted everything.
Now, every morning, I thank my body, cell by cell, from head to toe. I thank my eyes for seeing, my feet for carrying me, my skin for protecting me. It’s a form of gratitude that feels deeply spiritual—and it’s helped me show more compassion toward myself.
4. I Love (and Respect) My Body
This one has been the hardest. And honestly, I’m still working on it. There are parts of my body I love, and others I feel neutral about. But I no longer hate any part of it—and that’s a huge win.
My journey started with mirror work. Each day, I looked into the mirror and said something kind: I like my smile. I like my nose. Eventually, those words started to sink in. The affirmations grew from “I’m learning to love you” to “I love you”—and I meant it.
Of course, beauty standards are still very much present in my life. I haven’t completely escaped that conditioning. A recent example? I’m in a belly dancing class, and we might perform this year. Belly dancing means showing your belly… and people with my body type don’t often show up on YouTube dancing with confidence.
I want to perform, but part of me wonders: can I cover my stomach? Will I be allowed to? That part of my body is something I feel neutral about—not ashamed, not proud, just… there. And that’s okay. Self-love isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being real.
Final Thoughts: Self-Love Creates Compassion
At the end of the day, the reason I’ve done all this work is not just for me. It’s so I can show up in the world with more compassion—for myself and for others. I truly believe that people who are the harshest critics of others are also their own worst enemies.
So when I see someone judging others harshly, I offer compassion. Because chances are, they’re saying even worse things to themselves when no one’s looking.
Self-love helps us stop projecting. It helps us heal. It helps us love others.
And that, to me, is how we start making the world a better place.
Where are you on your self-love journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’re interested in working with me more personally, you can book a reading here, just go to the homepage!
Thanks for reading—and remember, you’re worthy of love, just as you are.
Disclaimer: This was written via chatGPT using the transcript from this video.