Chances are you’ve already written a card or a love letter for Valentine’s Day. It’s tomorrow after all! And I’m pretty sure that this wasn’t your first time.

However, this year I want to challenge you to do something that I’m certain you haven’t done before.

I know you are familiar with the whole “process”. Buying chocolates, flowers, teddy bears, or cute heart-shaped gifts and writing a card or a love letter for Valentine’s Day. It’s a way of showing your feelings to your loved ones. Whether it is your spouse, your boyfriend, or anyone else (I used to buy a card for my mum when I was little). But are you sure you are not forgetting anyone? (Hint: No, I don’t mean your school sweetheart that you don’t talk to anymore)

Don’t you think that in this big celebration of Love you ought to remember the person you should love the most? That’s right, YOU are the one you should care for and love more than anyone else. And you should praise that love. I know what you’re thinking; no, it’s not egocentricity.

You know and understand yourself better than anyone else does. You are together forever for Heaven’s sake! If you don’t love you, you can’t expect others to do it for you. We spend so much time waiting for others to love us for who we are, but we forget to love ourselves. How will anybody else love you if you can’t stand or judge yourself, or think that you’re not enough?

Self-love is the road to happiness and success. It is the road to freedom. If we don’t learn self-love first, we can’t truly love anyone else. We need to love us first, before we are able to love someone else. Let me borrow a famous quote:

“You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love & affection.” – Buddha

I know that despite the self-judgement, insecurity and vulnerability, you do care for yourself. Isn’t it time to show that affection? Grab a pen and a piece of paper and do yourself this favour. Write yourself a love letter for Valentine’s Day. Your inner-self will be grateful, and you won’t regret it! Take a few moments to free your mind and don’t forget to be completely honest. No one else will see it! Make this year, the first year to a more sincere and affectionate relationship with yourself. And help yourself build your confidence too.

I’ll leave you with a video uploaded by the SoulPancake team. These people wrote love letters to themselves, and the result gives a lot of food for thought. Enjoy!

.