I didnt learn to love myself until it was a matter of life or death!

I was travelling in India when I contracted a life threatening disease from an insect bite. My journey back to health was a bumpy ride and one hell of a journey of self discovery. The greatest lesson to come from this time of great challenge was the importance of self love.

We say I love you to friends and family but have you ever said it to yourself? It seems crazy when the most important and life long relationship we have is with ourselves. When you learn to love yourself you discover that every other aspect of life begins to flourish.

As a society we have things around the wrong way. We focus on external pursuits to measure success, such as career, finances and relationships. While these are all worthwhile and necessary pursuits, the trap comes in thinking those things alone will provide you with the level of joy and happiness you long for. Many people reach the height of their success only to discover that something is missing and more so have burnt themselves out along the way.

If loving yourself was viewed as a popular way to measure success, Im sure we wouldnt have such high levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. If we focused on loving ourselves then decisions would come from a place of authenticity, leading to a path of much greater pleasure and joy.

So many of our societal problems stem from a deep rooted belief that we arent good enough which leads to unhealthy relationships with food, low self esteem and sadly for many the thought that life isnt worth living. Imagine how different the world would be if we were taught to love ourselves from a young age.

The good news is, its never too late to make self love your number one priority. It often happens in times of great challenge but you dont need to wait for that, start right now! My health scare forced me to wake up and focus on what is truly important. Life can change in an instant and Im sure you dont want to waste anymore time worrying about trivial things.

When you learn to love yourself, you choose work that is fulfilling, create relationships that help you to grow and spend time with people that are dear to your heart. When you love yourself you wont settle for anything less because you know what you are truly worth and how very special you are.

Love creates more love, and by choosing to love yourself, every other person you come in contact with is positively impacted. More opportunities will come your way than ever before. When you live from a place of love, you attract more of that love. You are sending the message that you are open to give and receive all that you desire.

When you choose to live from a place of love you become a leader. If we all loved ourselves, even just a little bit more, the work we create, the communities we live in, would all be transformed. When you choose to focus on loving yourself as a priority, you have the energy and motivation to do the work that matters the most and to be truly present and actively engaged in your life. You will make conscious choices, that give you the power to change the reality of your life. If you are unhappy with a situation, always remember you have the power to change it. Focus on loving yourself and everything else will fall into place exactly as it is meant to be.