We hear a lot about loving other people, but many don’t realize that this starts with loving yourself. How you feel about yourself plays a very large role in your ability to love others. It also plays a huge role in your ability to function effectively as a creator in your life.

Let’s look at a simple analogy to understand this more clearly. If you buy a plant that you love, you will likely take very good care of it. Because you enjoy its presence, you will probably be inspired to do whatever it takes to enhance that presence. You will be attentive to its needs, water it, feed it, and make sure that it has exactly the right amount of light. You will also freely open your heart to appreciating it, which will inspire you to continue caring for it.

This is not very different from what you will do if you love yourself. Granted, loving yourself as a human being is far more complex than loving a plant. But the principle is the same.