Loving Yourself: 7 Concrete Steps (Step 2)

Step 2
This step is about learning to respect your own needs. This doesn’t mean running from one desire to the next. It means learning to tune in at any moment to what your real needs are. Sometimes that means getting rest, sometimes it means having more fun. Sometimes it means paying attention to finances, sometimes it means loosening the purse strings. Many people have a hard time getting clear about what their real needs are. Some of this confusion comes from their relationship to the concept of discipline.


It is possible to overcome a less than ideal childhood through a process called re-parenting. There are books on the subject that can assist in the process. However, just becoming aware of your relationship to discipline can help to rebuild a more positive relationship to self-discipline. And by stopping and tuning in to your real needs, you will be able to begin to take care of yourself and to trust your internal parent. After you have begun taking care of your real needs on a consistent basis, you will be able to look in the mirror and respect the person looking back. And trust is the basis of love.