If there is one lesson that I wish I would have learned earlier in life, it’s this: Love yourself.

I sought to complete myself in relationships, threw myself into work, and writing, but I didn’t spend the time to focus on myself. I loved myself enough, but I wasn’t in love with me. I mistakenly thought that to be satisfied and complete in life that I needed to fall in love with someone else. And when I did meet someone, I’d spend all my energy into building up the relationship but stopped work on myself and spending time with friends and family.

Yeah, I was one of those people. We’d be great friends, and then I’d be in a relationship, and you wouldn’t hear from me much anymore.

Then after a year or so, when the relationship fell apart, I’d go back to my friends and ask to hang out with them.

I noticed a lot of people I knew did this same thing, and I thought it was the normal thing to do.

But now I know better.

Getting into a relationship and not spending time with yourself or friends is like saying that you suddenly decide to stop exercising once you’re married. That makes no sense. We still need to take care of our bodies, so why wouldn’t we need to do the daily work on loving ourselves?

For me, I didn’t do the work, and I feel bad about that. I stopped taking care of myself because I focused too much on my partner. And I often ignored friends. Not entirely, but I prioritized a romantic relationship over anything else.

Maybe you haven’t done that. But have you put your kids in front of your self-healing work? Or your job? Or your family?

Take a moment to be honest with yourself and see if any of these are true.

If they are, what simple steps can you do today to fix this?

The journey takes a lifetime, and a few small steps each day will cause massive shifts over time.

So, start with now: What can you do today (even if it’s only 10 minutes) to focus on loving yourself?

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.