Do you love yourself?

Very important question I had never asked myself before I started this self-awareness path......
Do you love yourself?

Quick short answer for just about everyone, including me, is "Ummm...Yeah". However, when you stop to think about it and understand your thoughts and your internal dialogue, you'd have to admit that it's actually "No"...

When I would put pressure on myself to accomplish something and caused myself stress, I wasn't accepting myself for where I was at that point....not accepting myself is not loving myself.
When I would worry about other people's judgements about me, causing me to do, say, and be something that was not really true to myself, I was letting other people determine my self-worth (not loving myself).
When I would judge myself so harshly for making "mistakes" or not foreseeing everything that could go wrong in a situation, I was not loving myself.
When I told myself that I wasn't good enough and had to earn people's love and respect, I wasn't loving and respecting myself.
When I let other people treat me harshly and disrespectfully, telling myself that it was more important for them to like me then for me to be true to my spirit and leave, I wasn't loving myself.
When I would ASSUME that people were thinking something negative about me, I was really judging myself and therefore, not loving myself and allowing me to just be me.
When I felt obligated and said "yes" to someone's request of me when my Spirit was screaming "no", I was telling my Spirit that it wasn't important and I wasn't loving myself.
 When I accepted anything that made me suffer, for whatever reason, and didn't make a conscious effort to end my suffering, I wasn't loving and taking care of myself. 
When I looked to other people for reason's to love myself, I wasn't actually loving myself.
When I put someone's well-being above my own, being understanding, supportive, loving and compassionate to them while sacrificing myself, I was not valuing and loving myself. 
When I didn't allow myself to be creative and silly and express myself, I was stifling my inner child and my creativity and not loving myself.
When I didn't allow myself to enjoy activities that didn't get me anywhere socially, financially, successfully or otherwise 'better' then I was that day, I was letting societal expectation and definitions run my life, not accepting me for me and therefore...not loving myself! 
When I told myself that I needed to lose weight or somehow change my appearance in order to be loved, I wasn't loving myself.

I could probably sit here all night long and list more and more ways that I didn't love and accept myself, and I'm very thankful that these things are in my consciousness at this point so I can see where I need to just give myself a break.  The crazy thing is I THOUGHT I LOVED MYSELF!!  It's hard to love yourself when you thinking is wrong.  If you think that you are loving yourself, when in reality you are constantly judging, ignoring, suffering, pressuring, limiting and disrespecting yourself, then you'll never be able to have a relationship based on true unconditional love and acceptance.  The hardest part for me was actually admitting that I did all those things to myself.  Once I did, and learned that I'm lovable and acceptable for just being me, not only was I happier and more peaceful, but I found that others also reflected my opinions... In conclusion ;-) ...to gain acceptance from others, accept yourself!!

How many of the above judgements do you have of yourself? Can you come up with others? What mindset can you change today to help you have a more loving opinion of yourself. If something negative comes to your attention, replace it with something positive and let that thought go.  Make the necessary changes to prove to yourself that you're putting you first. Change never happens overnight, it's gradual and sometimes difficult, but one day at a time will get you closer and closer.  

I wish you all self-love and peace!!
Jess