Today, is a difficult day for many to acknowledge or talk about, Suicide Awareness Day. It’s a day for open dialogue and encouragement of shared burden, where people can remind one another that there’s no shame in pain and everyone has struggles.
As much as there is outreach to other people, there is another discussion that we need to have. It’s the one we have with ourselves.
Love Yourself
I have always found it amazing how words or a simple sentence can be life changing or profound. I mean, let’s think about it, a few words or a paragraph, your morals, views and the way you think about life can be altered by letters on a screen or a piece of paper and yet they can change the very foundation of not only the way you think but the world around you.
Sways of people have been influenced by a speech designed to inspire or insight fear.
For instance this famous quote by Edward Bulwer-Lytton it has a truer meaning today than it ever has – but that is an article for another day.
The quote I would like to focus on today is:
“Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from”
And while I don’t know who originally wrote this quote – I read it in Jim Kwik’s book limitless – it had a profound effect on me in how I now see other people.
I will take criticism from my mother because I know deep down she is doing it for my best interest, which is why I will also take her advice. I know this because of the amazing relationship we have and the things she does from me everyday, to which in kind she will take criticism and advice from me.
But now, I will not give a passing thought to a comment or criticism from someone if I wouldn’t value their advice. I know that unlike my mother, who has always had my back, the infamous ‘they’ do not.
Think about the people in your life. Think about who has your best interest, and who wants to see you fail? Who is kind to your face but secretly jealous. All this got me thinking on a deeper level because, ironically, our greatest adversary is also our greatest ally….
….It Is Ourself
We will often criticize ourselves and tear ourselves down.
- I’m not good enough
- I can’t do that
- I don’t
- I can’t
So on and so forth, and yet we rarely take our own advice which is often the advice we need for any given situation.
We often will bolster others around us and tell them how we love or admire them for whatever action they are taking to move forward in their lives. But again, when is comes to our own wellbeing, we seem to have this innate ability to not feel worthy.
Self-worth is one of the most valuable thing we can have on this earth, loving yourself and knowing you are worthy of love. It’s ok to love yourself, it’s ok to feel worthy. You may feel that this does not apply to you, but it does.
Know you have the ability to overcome anything with self love. You cannot change the world around you, unfortunately negative things are going to happen, it is a part of life. But, if you love yourself and have confidence in yourself, you can change how you react to those situations.
Visualize how you will overcome the negative situation or mindset that lies within you. Only you are able to achieve this change in mindset and you owe it to yourself to try.
Loving and caring for others is easy.
Love Yourself First.
Who to contact for Help
We have readers from many places in the world, and acknowledge you may not be in your country of origin when you find yourself in crisis. Find a Helpline is available in 11 languages and directs you to resources in over 150 countries.
Not all help lines are available 24/7. If you’re in need and contact by phone isn’t an option for you, you can email the UK charity Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org. They respond to emails within 24 hours.