UCanMakeitifYouTry – 6 Hallmarks Of Loving Yourself
6 Hallmarks Of Loving Yourself
Loving yourself might seem like a no-brainer: you are “stuck” with yourself for the length of your entire life, so you should want to love the person you are, right? While it sounds logical and simple enough, actually embracing self-love and really loving yourself can be a huge challenge for many people. Are you sure you are loving yourself to the fullest extent possible? Consider these six hallmarks of what it means to really, truly love yourself.
You can take your mistakes and failures in stride.
A person who really loves themself knows how to take mistakes and failures in stride. Rather than making yourself feel horrible by ruminating and obsessing over life’s mistakes and failures, they understand that everyone experiences them – no matter how hard they try to avoid them, they’re a normal part of life. A person who loves themself tries hard to learn what they can from the experience and move forward instead.
You listen to your physical, emotional, and mental needs, and respond to them accordingly.
Loving yourself means listening to your various needs and taking them seriously. When you’re hungry, you listen to this physical need and eat. When you’re emotionally stressed, you identify the stressor and handle it. If you’re feeling too anxious or stressed, you do whatever you can to limit that mental health drain on your life. Listening to what you need and actually responding to those signals rather than ignoring them is a huge sign of self-love.
You use boundaries to protect yourself from outside forces.
People who love themselves establish their boundaries by communicating them effectively to the other people in their lives. They use boundaries not only as a way to keep their relationships healthy and secure, but also as a way to protect their own personal needs. Rather than putting themselves in a position to be taken advantage of, a person who loves themself is up-front about their needs and sets boundaries early.
You accept your entire self – the good parts and the bad parts.
A person who loves themself knows they aren’t perfect – nobody is! They don’t believe they’re perfect, but they do accept their entire selves, including the good and the bad parts of who they are. Self-love means respecting and acknowledging everything about who you are, even the less-than-satisfactory parts of yourself.
You give yourself rest and time to relax.
People who love themselves know the importance of resting and relaxing. Rather than allowing themselves to be “on” or “available” constantly, they take time to give themselves rest and relaxation breaks. They do not see taking breaks as a sign of weakness or laziness – instead, they understand that resting and taking time to relax is the best way to ensure that they remain alert, focused, and ready to take on life’s challenges. Without rest and relaxation, a person can’t continue living in a healthy way. People who love themselves respect this basic need.
You express gratitude for the good things in your life on a regular basis.
People who love themselves spend lots of time reflecting on all the good things in their lives – especially when life gets tough. They celebrate life’s joys, blessings, and bright spots all the time; not just when things are going well. Loving yourself is easier when you take time to acknowledge all the goodness that already exists within your life. People who take the time to express their gratitude openly and regularly are far more likely to love and respect themselves versus those who save gratitude for when everything is going right.
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James Donaldson
Former Owner and Director of The Donaldson Clinic (an outpatient physical therapy clinic)
James completed a 20 year professional basketball career in the spring of 2000. James established The Donaldson Clinic in (January 1990 – 2018) (shortly after a career threatening knee injury) with an idea that he would eventually become a physical therapist. He is a strong advocate for Women & Minority owned businesses and is very involved with various Chambers of Commerce. He understands what it takes to sustain a strong business environment that is conducive to the success of businesses overall.
James is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the N.B.A. with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz. He also played for several in Spain, Italy and Greece of the European Leagues plus toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an N.B.A. All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac – 10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
He now devotes the majority of his time to various community activities, and toward the Gift of Life Foundation, speaking on mental health awareness and suicide prevention. James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, youth groups and is the author of the published “Standing Above the Crowd” of which you can learn more about at www.standingabovethecrowd.com and is available for sale now.
In 2021, James published Celebrating Your Gift of Life: From the Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy. www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com
James is a 40+ year resident of Seattle. He believes in being a role model of success and professionalism for the scores of young people that he devotes so much of his time to. He currently serves on several Boards and/or committees and is a member of many organizations. (Please see complete listing on back)
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win – Win” environment for everyone involved, and being the best he can be!
