Love is the most talked
about affair in the universe. There are movies and music about it. When you
read books, newspapers, magazines you are most likely to come across the word love
or pictures related to it. The interesting thing we can take note of is the
fact that what we have just alluded to in most cases refers to love as
involving two people or more; it could be love between a lad and a lassie (a
boy and a girl), friendship or it could be love in a family setting which comes
in different forms.
King Jesus says ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’.
It is impossible to love other people if you do not love yourself. We have
somehow lost the essence of love. Going back to the basics we need to start
with loving ourselves. Love must begin at self-level. The question is, how do I go about loving
myself? The answer to this question is easy. It reads ‘All things are lawful but not all things are helpful, all things are
lawful but not things build up’ Apostle Peter. Expressing self-love is seen when we only do
things that are helpful, things which build us up.
The following are some ways one take into
consideration to express self-love:
Develop a relationship with God: The first and foremost thing one must consider is that of seriously attending his or her relationship with Jesus. This relationship is very important because it assists someone to have principles to live by. These principles are on the Word, the Bible. The interesting thing about them is that we are guaranteed that when we follow we shall be great.
‘The LORD will make you the head and not the tail. If you pay attention
to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully
follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom’ Det 28:13
God is not a human, so he
does not lie – He is a promise keeper. If you really loved yourself you would
develop a relationship with your Maker. God can take you from poverty to
prosperity. God can make a miracle out of your misery. He is able.
Have
a clear vision: ‘If
you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there’ Lewis Carroll.
There is no place that is called there, this was Carroll’s way of telling us that without a vision
you are not going to get anywhere. You are just going around in circles. The
premise of this quote is that, it is impossible to realise your vision when you
do not have a specific destination. A vision makes you to be focused; it also
orders your steps towards making it a reality. It gives you a direction; it is
more like a map. It helps you to focus on things that matter most, the things
that draw you closer to your destiny. Without a vision is one leads a loose
life, they do anything at any time. The person with a vision leads a very well
planned life, s/he does something at a specific time and whatever s/he does has
a relationship with his/her expected end.
An example of how to develop a vision:
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Where do I see myself in two years?
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What do I need to do to get there?
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Who can help me to get there?
The voids that a lot of
people try to fill with many things that eventually destroy them are as result
of not knowing what they want to achieve. Eric’s expression gives us an idea of
how self-love is the result when one has a vision which most likely makes that
particular person focused - When your
life is focused you are far more likely to experience fulfilment and
significance. Eric Deschamps
Read books: Loving yourself is very crucial, and can
contribute to a well-balanced life; because people will learn to appreciate
their strengths and weaknesses. People do not understand that you don’t need a
massive degree from an institution to adore and appreciate who you are. Fearing
to engage with self-love just because you don’t see a value for yourself can
stress you. A wise man once said that in order to be a great swimmer, you must
train your limbs to work together with your mind and heart. In order for us as
human beings to attain our greatness of self-love; we need to develop and train
our minds about the good and the bad of life.
The only way we can achieve this
skill is through books. A book carries a whole world in it. Reading books helps
you to see life at another perspective; and hence find a solution to a problem
you are facing or an obstacle which will hinder your success.
To be continued
Meet the Bloggers/Writers:
 |
| M. Xaba & M. Thabana |
