We’ve all been there where we’ve needed self love. Sometimes, the world makes it difficult to just be. We are constantly caught in a battle between loving ourselves and loving the world. Are the two mutually exclusive? No, they don’t have to be. But sometimes, this can seem to be the case. Caught up in our daily lives of work and school and family and relationships, making some me-time might seem to be the most difficult task. Self love indeed begins with carving out me time, And no, it is not selfish to practice self love, self care and self compassion. From FitHealthy365: “Making time for yourself is hard. I get it. For whatever reason (I’m sure there are many) we put others and doing things for others ahead of ourselves. Here’s the thing, we aren’t doing ourselves or those around us any favors. Sure, in the short-term it’s manageable, but what’s the cost? Are you as happy as you could be? Are you as fit or healthy as you could be? What example are you setting for your kids, if you have them? It’s not about being selfish. Not by any means. It’s about taking time for YOU to relax and rejuvenate. We give of ourselves so much, it’s important to take time to refuel”.
And one of the nicest ways to practice self love is to get wisdom from those who’ve been there, done that, and have recorded their thoughts into a book. Yes, that’s right – self love books are necessary and should have their pride of place on your bookshelf. Here, we pick out ten of our favorite self love books, and give you some quotes from them. Pick up one – pick them all up – and carry them with you for when you need to be reminded how important you are to yourself.
- The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown(PhD, Leading Expert on Shame, Authenticity, and Belonging)
From the book: “No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.”
2. You can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay: This one’s a classic and has been the go-to self love and self healing book for generations.
From the book, one of my favorite quotes of all time: “Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”
3. Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Self Acceptance by Rosie Molinary (Author, Speaker, and Teacher)
The author encourages journaling as a means to connect with your deepest self to begin the process of self acceptance and self love.
From the book: “With journaling, you see the patterns of your life; you claim or reclaim who you really are; you coach yourself into becoming the someone you imagined; you arrive at a sense of balance, of yourself, of wholeness. You can discover productive patterns and non-productive patterns in your life, and you can choose to embrace the ones that move you forward.”
This one has to be one of our all-time favorites, and a crowd favorite, for the tone and voice, and for exhorting us to live simpler lives by just practicing minimalism in everything but happiness.
From the book: “The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It’s more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly light-hearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.”
And this home truth: “The days are long, but the years are short.” Say it, girl!
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
This book has to be the one that spurred the me first movement amongst women all over the world. A story told in the most engaging of styles, this confessional slash travelogue slash memoir has to be credited with removing the stigma that comes with practicing self love.
From the book: “I think I deserve something beautiful.”
Yes, please.
