Love Yourself, Protect Yourself: Set Boundaries

We all love in our own way, and everyone chooses for themselves. We have the power to form relationships however we like even if we’re not always conscious of that power. It all depends on our attitude. Our interactions with others, the world, and, of course, ourselves depend on that choice.

Now, among all of the different ways of connecting, the relationship that’s most important (and also forms the foundation of all other relationships) is the one we have with ourselves. Depending on how we treat ourselves and respect ourselves, we may be more or less open to relationships with others and with the universe. Therefore, if we take care of ourselves, we can have more authentic relationships with those around us.

There are a variety of important factors when it comes to loving ourselves. First is getting to know ourselves so that we know how far we can push ourselves. Additionally, this will be reflected in our relationships with others. If we know ourselves, our relationships will be richer and we’ll be capable of understanding the various boundaries we might come up against.

Because we love ourselves, we know what we’re capable of

When we love ourselves, we learn how far we can go. We develop a self-appreciation that helps us understand our boundaries. Therefore, we learn that:

• We’re not perfect: Saying “I love myself” means understanding that nobody’s perfect. Then, you realize that it’s okay to make mistakes, and that shouldn’t frustrate you.
• We shouldn’t push ourselves too far: “I love myself” also means knowing when to stop. If you push ourselves too hard, you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed.
• We can learn from our mistakes: Loving ourselves also means treating every mistake like a lesson. That way, you won’t feel like you’re drowning during the rough patches, because you’ve gotten to know yourself and learned that everything that happens to you is an important experience.
• Let yourself be surprised: Whenever we show ourselves love, we choose to live in the here and now. Once you know how far to push yourself and stop forcing the future, you won’t need everything to stay so controlled. Loving yourself means going with the flow!

Through loving ourselves, we get to know ourselves more deeply. This teaches us who we are deep down. We understand our emotions and thoughts, and we can begin to predict how we might react to various situations.

When we practice self-love, we learn what’s best for us. Therefore, we make decisions according to that knowledge and accept that whatever happens, even if it’s not what we hoped, is a learning opportunity. Furthermore, we don’t judge ourselves, because we understand that we’re not omnipotent. We don’t have control of everything that happens.

We know when to say: enough is enough!

When we love ourselves, we learn to value everything we’re capable of, and set boundaries for the rest. This means speaking up when we don’t like something and therefore continuing to build relationships. This way the people in our lives will know how far we’re willing to go, what annoys us, and what they can do.

Saying “I love to” to yourself means saying: “Enough is enough!” This means communicating with others when they’ve taken things too far. This way, we set boundaries and protect ourselves from things that may harm us. However, we can’t always avoid getting hurt – we can’t control what others do, but we can prevent certain things.

When we love ourselves, even if we’re strongly connected to someone, we know how to say no. We know how to end something because we understand that certain situations are only going to get more painful. Loving yourself also means keeping in mind what’s good and bad for you.

Benefits of loving and protecting yourself

When we love and protect ourselves, we create a harmonious environment in which we’ve freed ourselves from our worries and we can be honest with ourselves and others. The best way to enjoy a relationship is by being ourselves, knowing what we want, and expressing that effectively. Now, there are multiple advantages to setting boundaries. Here are a few:

• Freeing ourselves from negative thoughts
• Better quality of life
• Going with the flow
• Improving our mood
• Freeing ourselves from problems
• Getting to know ourselves better
• Easier time asserting ourselves
• Easier time making decisions

When we practice self-love, we understand ourselves more profoundly, including what we want and where we’re going. This will help us draw the line when we try to be perfect, when we get frustrated, or when things spin out of our control.

As we’ve seen, setting limits is a way of taking care of the greatest treasure – ourselves. We protect our image and form more sincere relationships. This helps us achieve peace.

Let go of your fears and dare to give yourself the unconditional love you deserve! Get to know yourself better today.