For most of us, our understanding of love tends to be that of an emotion directed outwards towards some external (third party) person or thing. What’s remarkable, albeit a little sad, is that as we navigate through our lives, the vast majority of us never realise a foundational truth.
Because the person most deserving of – and, indeed, in desperate need of – our love, care and respect is ourselves. Yet, so often, we fail to give ourselves a look-in.
Actress Lucille Ball once wisely said: “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
But in today’s modern world, thanks to the constant pressures of being the best professionally and in the gym and of adhering to unrealistic beauty standards, few of us are accepting of who we are already – instead, over-scrutinising ourselves and never quite feeling like we’re enough.
Add to that the fact that there are families to look after and other people to keep happy, with a seemingly endless line of others vying for our love, care and attention, and it’s perhaps unsurprising that a worrying number of us are running on empty, with little left for ourselves at the end of it all.
As is often said, you can’t pour from an empty cup, and an inability to refill yours by properly embodying self-love and self-acceptance can have a detrimental effect on how you view and treat both yourself and others, colouring your perspective on life and relationships.
Contrary to what some may believe, self-love and self-acceptance are not synonymous with self-indulgence and narcissism or about believing you’re superior to others; in fact, on the contrary. A true understanding of self-love teaches us empathy and appreciation, both of which enable us to view our strengths and weaknesses (as well as the strength and weaknesses of others) in a healthy and balanced light – an essential life skill that many of us are lacking. Which is why in 2023, we need to start prioritising self love once and for all.
So, how exactly do we realise and grow in self-love and self-acceptance? We asked the experts at exclusive private members life support club, The Odissean Experience, to share their tips.
Celebrate the uniqueness and awesomeness that is you
We are all unique, and nobody has to offer the same as you do. Realising that who and what you are is truly special, valuable and worthy of being loved – yes, regardless of your flaws and mistakes – is the most crucial first step towards gaining liberation to live the empowered life you were meant to live.
As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “you do not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one” – so it’s time to start embracing what makes you, you, once and for all.
Respect and care for yourself
If you’re constantly feeling under-respected by those around you, then the key to changing that could be closer than you think. In order to command respect from others, you first have to have respect for yourself – if you don’t, others will be able to spot it a mile off and react accordingly.
Self-sabotage, poor life decisions and unhealthy living are all symptoms which signal either the absence or dysfunctionality of self-respect – an unfortunate state of being that often arises due to negative past experiences – whether they were events beyond your control, of the actions of others – that have resulted in us erroneously believing we are worthless.
But the idea that you are of low value and of no use to the world is quite simply untrue; each of us has something valuable to offer the world – be it kind words to a stranger, an act of selfless generosity, empathy, a listening ear, the ability to teach, musical flare, sporting prowess, or anything in between. The list is endless, and each one counts just as much as the next – so next time you notice that inner voice telling you you have nothing to give, remind yourself that this is not even close to being true.
Stop comparing yourself to others
One of the most pernicious and emotionally destructive traps to fall into is comparing yourself to others. This is a guaranteed road to misery and will only ever leave you feeling ‘less than’ because instinctively, we tend to compare ourselves to those who have more than us, as opposed to less.
Instead of comparing yourself to, and competing with others, try instead to compare yourself to who you were, say five weeks ago, or five months ago, or even five years ago. Look at how far you’ve come and be proud of your accomplishments as you continue your progress towards your best self, because in reality, your only competition is yourself.
Do ‘you’ and change the world by changing your corner of it
Explore you; find you; love you; and do you! Find what makes you come alive and then go and do that with all your heart. Self love isn’t about striving to become someone you’re not, but about embracing who you already are, wholeheartedly. The world doesn’t need millions of people who are exactly the same, and our uniqueness and individuality is what makes life beautiful.
The Odissean Experience
A 21st century, invitation-only response to the multi-faceted wellbeing and lifestyle needs of the modern time-challenged HNWI, TOE brings together some of the world’s most knowledgeable experts with a strategic-interdisciplinary and needs-led approach to provide members with an individual, personalised experience that is designed to help you achieve your own unique set of goals.
As champions of emotional/mind-set wellbeing, The Odissean Experience’s bespoke wellbeing and lifestyle programmes are specifically designed to help deliver clients into the ease of self-acceptance, in amongst the day-to-day challenges of life.
TOE’s experienced team of emotional wellbeing specialists and partners are dedicated to the task of working with clients to help them cultivate a healthier emotional life, mind-set and outlook – so if you’ve been struggling to embrace yourself just as you are, then becoming a member could be just what you need to start off the new year on the right foot.
With an expert lifestyle concierge offering you dedicated guidance and convenience like no other, as a TOE member you’ll also have access to everything from routine, day-to-day, general personal assistance, to novel self-explorational experiences and anything else you need throughout the process.
With lifestyle curators working to service your needs and help you do ‘you’, 2023 could just turn out to be your best year yet – so why not let The Odissean Experience help you find your happy place?
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To apply for your exclusive membership invitation, contact invitations@theodisseanexperience.com.
