Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version (NIV)

For many years I read the 2nd great commandment as a reminder to love others. During troubled times of persecution, I held back my tongue and refrained from harming others. But I missed an important lesson that just came to me recently. The phrase "as yourself" all of a sudden has a new meeting. How can I love others if I don't have the courage to love myself. So for me, one that has always put the wants and needs of others first, I've turn this second great commandment around the other way.

Love Yourself as you love your neighbor. Out of the sky blue this new phrasing opened up a whole new way of thinking for me, and then I found a book that reinforced my new way of thinking. Let all that can hear the sound of my voice, this day and forever more, LOVE YOURSELF! There is no need to sacrifice your happiness for another's. Love yourself first! 

This day, vow to yourself to love yourself, to treat yourself as someone you love truly and deeply – in your thoughts, your actions, the choices you make, the experiences you have, each moment you are conscious, make the decision to LOVE YOURSELF.

Adapted from Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant