If you want to love yourself, then you need a truthful blend of authentic self compassion and authentic self respect.

Neither compassion or respect can be faked, and neither compassion or respect can be relied upon to the exclusion of the other.

When it comes to the self respect aspect of your inner balance, which could possibly be considered the ‘masculine side’ of self love, I want you to remember that your self esteem is earned and maintained through living in a good-enough manner on a weekly and monthly basis.

Earned self respect means taking enough respectable actions per day, according to your chosen value system, not the rules laid down by family or society.

The hope of high self esteem is asking yourself to make a conscious commitment to reject the kind of unconscious lifestyle which dismisses, downplays or artificially forgives your lazy and thoughtless choices.

Self respect is diminished when you diminish yourself.

The world may not notice, but you notice.

Your reputation with yourself matters.

It matters tremendously.

Jordan