Doing what you love is not necessarily loving yourself. Find out why.

1. Does loving yourself means doing what you love and content with who you are?
For the past 1 week, I’ve been playing online games for more than 4 hours a day, 8 hours on my
off day. I want to play online games, I love them and I want more. Does this mean I’m loving
myself?
I have a friend who said, “I love myself, I’m content with who I am”. Does this mean he loves
himself?
I love cakes, ice creams, chocolates and all those sugary stuff that most people want to avoid. I
eat them every day. Does this mean I love myself?
This question really strikes a wooden hammer at my heart. I questioned, “What is the correct
way to love myself?”
Is this: “Do what you love” is the correct answer?
If I continue playing games for at least 4 hours a day non-stop for the next 3 months, or if I eat
cakes, ice creams and chocolates every day, am I loving myself? Or am I destroying my body?
But Tifa, people say Do what you love to love yourself. And they said Love yourself totally
without any expectations.
This seems to be true even though you’re destroying your life in the process of loving yourself.
Contradicting, isn’t it?
Look, you are not loving yourself just by doing what you love, if the cost of that action is going
to increase your blood sugar level, weaken your muscles, or even stagnate your growth as a
human being.
This is uber important.
Love yourself means do what you love that is beneficial to your well-being. Period. By the way,
this is still not enough.
Because what if you don’t love what you must do that is beneficial to you? Happens to me all
the time.
I don’t particularly like to exercise, but I know I should must exercise in the early morning to
keep my body and brain muscles strong and healthy.
What would you do if you know you should must exercise but you hated it?

2. I totally get you. I was in your position not long ago. Literally, I had to drag myself just to unfold
my yoga mat. I was doing something pain-in-the-ass and 100% uncomfortable. But am I loving
myself?
YES!
I should must exercise so I’ll be healthy so I’ll live long so I can spend more time with my
partner. The thought of living long enough to spend more beautiful moments with my partner
fuels me with energy to drag my 1000kg feet, every morning.
But hey Tifa, I love myself as a person. I love myself being helpful, caring, kind, and awesome!
I’m still loving myself right?
Like you, this is exactly what my friend said: “I love myself, I’m content with who I am”. Do you
think he is loving himself?
Yes, and no when he stops at his current level. Loving yourself also means recognizing and
accepting your strengths and weaknesses, AND strive to be even better at your strengths, or
slightly improve your weaknesses over time.
So your purpose and goals become your top-most priority.
Loving yourself means you do things that propel you one step closer to your purpose and goals,
whether you love it or not.
Don’t fall into the trap that loving yourself means doing the things you love and content with who
you are. If what you love is, like me, playing online games for hours, eating sugary stuff, Netflix
the whole day, accepted your shortcomings and done nothing, STOP cheating yourself that you
love yourself.
IT IS A TRAP to do whatever you’re comfortable in. This is not an act of loving yourself. You’ll
fucking destroy your health, mind, and soul.
Start truly loving yourself by doing the things you know you should must do to become a better
you. I know you already have the answer. You know you should must get that mat out now. You
know you should must watch that Udemy video now. You know you what you should must do.
Start doing what you should must do to become the better you. This is how you love yourself
like a cat loves a catnip.
You must’ve noticed I striked “should”. It’s a simple hack for your brain. Humans tend to do
must’s and put off should’s. See, a change of word will cure you from procrastination.