With all of the self-improvement books out there, the one underlying foundational advice is that one must love themselves.  Sounds great, doesn’t it?    Yet, how does one know how to love one’s self and if we don’t, how do we go about learning to love ourselves.

I’m a self-growth junkie and consequently read numerous books on improving my self-esteem, self-love and whatever else you want to call it.  Yet today, though I definitely respect myself more, I still work on this “self-love” theme.    Maybe it’s really the essential act of our lives…learning to love ourselves in a world that doesn’t support self-love.

Do you think about the things or people in your life that you love or appreciate?  In my busy and hurried life, I realized that I could easily ignore all the wonderful and simple things and experiences I have in my life right now.  When I embrace the task of appreciating what I have in my life right now, a smile naturally comes to my face and offers me the simple flow of love.

Normally I’m in my office around 1:30 o’clock in the afternoon, busy working and not at all in touch with the outside world.

On St. Patrick’s Day, I had the gift of being on the bus around this time and all around me was a ‘sea of green.’  In New York City, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a fun way to spend the afternoon.    The weather was beautiful…sunny, warm and perfect for people to come out of their offices and celebrate.

This may sound silly, but when was the last time you looked in the mirror at yourself and said, “I love you.”

What is mirror work?   It’s when you face yourself in the mirror, look into your eyes, and say affirmations to yourself.

Louise Hay, in “You Can Heal Your Life,” clearly describes this simple process.   She helps you gain back your personal power by looking in the mirror and saying “I Love You (put in your name).”   This simple affirmation can have profound affect on your well-being.   

My niece had a boy….beautiful baby.   Yesterday, we all gathered for the Jewish ‘bris’ which occurs on the 8th day of a boy’s birth to bond him within Judaism and to celebrate the naming of this beautiful child.   As I reflect on the experience for me and for those around me, I realized every situation has room to learn about loving ourselves.