Love of Self and Others

"Appreciation and self-love are the most important tools that you could ever nurture."  Abraham

Appreciation and self love are the most important qualities one can develop, and it follows naturally that then one can also love others.  It is only through self regard that we can have regard for others.  We can look at any bully and see self loathing extending outward in the treatment of others.  People who develop healthy self regard also have healthy regard for others.  It is a law, like gravity.  Self appreciation precedes appreciation of others.  So, how can we develop self appreciation?  One way is to never, and I do mean never, speak or think demeaningly about ourselves.  This does not mean grandiosity; it just means seeing ourselves as humans who make mistakes but who are doing the best we can.  Another way we can appreciate ourselves is to not allow others to violate our boundaries.  We need to resist being bullied into doing something we do not want to do.  We benefit from taking time to consider our own values, to explore what we want, and to honor those values and desires.  The entire world will benefit when we each appreciate ourselves.  Then, it follows, we appreciate all life.