What is the key to my most fulfilling life?

Self-love is the key.  Healthy Self-love is the foundation to build all other beautiful qualities of being from.  Self-love is the recognition that there is a beautiful, worthy, and lovable being inside of you that deserves to be treated with kindness, respect, and love - simply because you exist.  It is a deep reverence and respect for life - which you are.  Self-love is any action that comes from this recognition.  

When you know you are valuable and have a solid relationship to yourself you feel secure and do not seek external validation.  This allows you to move through life in a way that is authentic, open, and flowing - creating healthy interactions with yourself, others and the world.  When we operate from self-love there is a vibrancy, aliveness, and radiance that gets unlocked within your being and it feels AMAZING!

What is self-love’s opposite?

Self-sabotage, self-neglect, self-abandoning, self-condemnation - all of these are operating from a place of fear.  Self-love’s opposite is when we talk to ourselves, treat ourselves, and behave in ways that are unkind, unloving, judgmental, comparing, perfectionistic and make us feel bad about who we are.  Much of the time this happens unconsciously until we bring our awareness to our thoughts and actions.  Unless self-love is modeled for us and taught to us in our childhood, we are likely to not be very loving to ourselves without us even knowing it.  

How to cultivate self-love?

You find and cultivate self-love by building a relationship between you and your inner being - the core part of you.  By being willing to turn inwards to see, hear, and feel your true self without judgement, but with loving-kindness and compassion we can begin to work with what is there in a way that brings healing energy to ourselves.  

Hold yourself as a mother holds her beloved child. — Buddha

How to use self-love to unlock my highest potential?

Once we have cultivated a loving relationship and attunement to our true selves we can then begin connecting with and asking that part of ourselves questions to guide us.  Some questions you might ask your inner being are: “Which decision, thought, or action would make you feel safe, whole, happy, fulfilled, cared for, loved, excited, expansive, or nourished?”  When we can tune into ourselves so intimately our heart’s will speak to you and give you the most valuable advice, direction, or idea that will lead you to everything you need and want to live your optimum life.  

Conclusion

The magic key for discovering, creating, and living your most fulfilling life is finding and cultivating self-love.  Once you have accessed your true Self that lives in the very core of your being you can begin to cultivate a beautiful and loving relationship with this part of you.  You can shift and replace any and all thoughts, actions, and behaviors that are unloving towards yourself with ones that would create a happy and fulfilled heart.  You can become teammates with our inner being and allow it to be your guide throughout your life.  This practice is the foundation for living an empowered life.  

Is a life full of thoughts, actions, and decisions that create the highest-version of yourself worth the daily practice of going inwards and communing with your heart?