One of the most powerful lessons in my life was the awareness that loving myself is very key to my happiness and emotional well-being. It is a fact that many people are not even aware that loving ourselves is a powerful force in our lives and can be used to remedy many heartaches and pain. It gives us clarity of mind and motivation to be a better person and achieve greater things for ourselves, our mind, and our body.

Loving yourself is not to be confused with being self-centered or narcissistic which basically means being engrossed with oneself and one's own affairs. It is not about being egoistical and conceited. There is a huge difference between these two.

You need to know that when you love yourself you will feel connected with the inner beautiful person that you are inside. We are all a being of light but that light will not be bright if you fail to spark it and give it life. To give it life is to give it love and when love flows within you, you will begin the process of loving yourself.

It is not easy to know when you do not love yourself. We all presume that we do, we think its a given. And yet, why are there so many people who allow themselves to lose their power and self-destruct themselves. Understand this, when you do not love yourself enough or love yourself first, you give permission for negative or unhappy things to happen to you.

Several symptoms to look out for when you need to love yourself more:

* When you stay in an abusive relationship and continue to accept abuse and hostility. You mistake this to be heroic act to safeguard the family unit, when in reality you are just being insecured. Because you don't love yourself enough you disallow yourself to see things for what they really are.

* When you solve your problems by taking drugs, or getting yourself drunk. When you do not love yourself enough, you allow for these self-abuses for they are nothing more than just that. Be aware that your lack of self-love leads you to self-destruction.

* When you think you are on the edge and deserve to die and you devise ways to kill yourself. If you understand about karma, suicide is against the law of the universe. It is not your time yet. Learn to love yourself and you will see the solutions.

* When you get to be fat and ugly and you don't like how you feel about it. If you love yourself well enough, your appearance and health will be important to you. When you begin to love yourself you will begin to respect your body and your health.

Understand this, your soul is sacred, honour it. Once you know how to love yourself and love yourself first, you will be guided to make the right decisions, take responsibility for your life, achieve clarity of mind and peace of heart.

"You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere.? - Anonymous quote.

It has nothing to do with not loving other people or not taking responsibility or making sacrifices for others. Your responsibilities towards other do not change. What needs to change is your attitude and responsibily to yourself - if you love yourself only then you will truly learn how to love other people. what you truly breed, you will beget the benefits of that love. Make daily affirmation that you love yourself.