Love yourself

I once told a young woman before you can tell me that you love me you have to First Love Yourself

## Love Yourself

Before you build a castle in the heart of another,

Before you exhaust your spirit trying to be the perfect friend or brother,

Before you seek the desperate refuge of a lover in the night,

You must first step forward into your own magnificent light.

Stop. Breathe. Look into the mirror, past the doubts and the flaws,

Past the world’s heavy judgments and its suffocating laws.

See the masterpiece breathing, the resilient spirit underneath,

The quiet warrior who has conquered, the very air that you breathe.

We live in a world that profits from your self-doubt,

A loud, chaotic room always trying to drown your spirit out.

But to love yourself is to rebel, to boldly water your own roots,

To tend to your own garden, to harvest your own fruits.

It means forgiving the stumbles, the falls, and the breaks,

And wrapping your arms gently around your own mistakes.

Take care of your temple—your body, your mind, your soul,

Leave the toxic whispers and the haunting shadows behind, make yourself whole.

Rest when you are weary, speak kindly when you fall,

For the voice inside your head is the loudest, most important one of all.

Feed your mind with words that build you up, not tear you down.

Nourish your body, wear your unapologetic confidence like a crown.

Set boundaries like iron gates to protect your sacred space,

And realize that running your own race is a brilliant state of grace.

Saying "no" to the drain of the world is saying "yes" to your heart,

And that is not selfish—that is exactly where true healing must start.

They say you must give all your soul to someone new,

But how can you give what is starving and empty inside you?

You cannot pour a rushing river from a dried and hollow well,

You cannot offer someone heaven if you are living inside hell.

So mend the broken pieces, stitch the tearing seams,

Be the gentle, brilliant architect of your own wild dreams.

When your cup is overflowing, when your spirit is completely sound,

Only then is your love a victory, a treasure to be found.

When you are entirely full, your love is a gift, not a plea,

A beautiful addition to your life, not a desperate necessity.

Believe in the relentless magic that courses through your veins.

Believe in your absolute power to weather the heaviest rains.

There is no mountain too rugged, no canyon too wide,

When you are guided by the brilliant compass beating inside.

When you truly believe in yourself, the universe stops to take notice,

The stars align, the path clears, you finally find your focus.

You can paint a brand new sky, you can turn back the tide,

You can do *anything* when you are finally on your own side.

Do not wait for a hero in shining armor to sweep you away,

Be the hero of your own spectacular story, starting today.

You can build massive empires from the ashes of your past,

You can forge a beautiful future that is built to safely last.

Stand tall in your glory, unapologetic, fierce, and grand,

Hold your destiny like a diamond in the palm of your hand.

You are worthy of the immense joy that the morning sun brings,

You are worthy of the beautiful song that the nightingale sings.

Let your confidence roar like a massive fire in the dark,

Let your self-love ignite an unstoppable, spectacular spark.

So make this promise, as you step boldly through the door:

You will no longer treat your own heart like an invisible war.

You will cherish your deep laughter, you will honor your heavy tears,

You will conquer your lingering doubts and dismantle your fears.

Before you love another, make absolutely sure that you know:

You are the rich, beautiful soil where your own happiness must grow.

Love yourself fiercely, love yourself completely, love yourself true,

For the greatest, most powerful romance is the one within you.

written by King poet