In this list I wanted to share the most empowering, deep and non-judgemental quotes on self love I have come across in my life.

But first, some insight into why self love is truly one of the most power gifts you can give yourself that can have a positive impact in all aspects of your life.

Why Self Love Is So Important

1. Like Attracts Like

According to the law of attraction, like attracts like, so if you put yourself last, you will attract people who also put you last. Conversely, if you show yourself respect, love, and consideration, other people will do the same.

2. You Do You

Let’s face it – we’re our own best friend. Even when others are too busy, or too preoccupied, or spending time with a new partner, we are all we have. So cherish your relationship with yourself because there will be times during your life when you are all you’ve got, and if you don’t like yourself, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

3. The Key to Success

Everything in life comes down to self-belief. Whether it’s a new job, a new love, or a new adventure, if you don’t believe you are capable or worthy of it, then your chances of attaining it are pretty slim. Have confidence in you and that will shine through and make those dreams a reality.

4. You Look After What is Precious

If you value yourself and your life, it will naturally follow that you want to look after yourself. Self love will guide you into making healthier choices in all areas of your life, from healthy eating to exercise, and even the kind of people you allow into your life.

5. Authenticity is Freedom

Don’t shrink to fit into other people’s boxes. We’re on this earth for a good few decades, and keeping up a pretense will wear you down like nobody’s business, and eventually lead to confusion as you lose sight of who you really are. Be unapologetically you, and you’ll attract the right kind of people.

6. Only You Can Make You Happy

You’ve heard the saying ‘don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket’, right? This saying is so important in your self-love journey because when you find out how to make you happy, you don’t have to rely on anyone else to do it for you.

7. You’ll Never Steer Yourself in the Wrong Direction

Once you learn to love yourself you will also learn to trust yourself. Gut feeling, intuition, energy…call it what you will, that inner voice will only have your best interests at heart once you learn to listen to it.

8. It Gives us an Emotional Toolkit

Nobody gets through life unscathed, but it’s how we deal with the bad times which matter. When you practice self love, you will have a healthy regard for yourself which will prevent you from turning to destructive or neglectful behavior when the going gets tough.

9. Self Love Teaches Gratitude

When we love ourselves, we naturally become thankful for all the good things in our lives, while not even noticing what we would otherwise see as lacking. Having an attitude of gratitude puts a whole new perspective on life, and suddenly the world is a wonderful place to be.

10. Put Yourself First

Putting yourself first is not being selfish, it’s wanting and needing the very best for yourself. When you say yes just to please others or to avoid a row, you are placing too much value on other people, and too little on yourself. Learn to say no and you will see your best self flourishing.

11. Love and Respect Start With You

Other people learn from example, and if you don’t love and respect yourself, others will follow suit.

The Most Empowering (and Healing) Self Love Quotes

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball

“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” – Charles Bukowski

“When you adopt the viewpoint that there is nothing that exists that is not part of you, that there is no one who exists who is not part of you, that any judgment you make is self-judgment, that any criticism you level is self-criticism, you will wisely extend to yourself an unconditional love that will be the light of the world.” – Harry Palmer

“To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness” – Robert Morley

“It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self-love deficit.” – Eartha Kitt

“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” – Shannon L. Alder

“So then, the relationship of self to other is the complete realization that loving yourself is impossible without loving everything defined as other than yourself.” – Alan Watts

“I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren’t more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent. They believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.” – Kristen Neff

“I had to grow to love my body. I did not have a good self-image at first. Finally it occurred to me, I’m either going to love me or hate me. And I chose to love myself. Then everything kind of sprung from there. Things that I thought weren’t attractive became sexy. Confidence makes you sexy.” – Queen Latifah

“Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.” – Deborah Day

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Lao-Tzu

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” – Anna Taylor

“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.” – Katrina Mayer

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” – Brené Brown

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” – Bob Moawad

“A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life.” – Andrew Matthews

“Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions … Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” – Tina Fey

“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits – anything that kept me small. My judgement called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.” – Kim McMillen

“Self-love is an ocean and your heart is a vessel. Make it full, and any excess will spill over into the lives of the people you hold dear. But you must come first.” – Beau Taplin

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” – Fred Rogers

“Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” – Roy T. Bennett

“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.” – Stacey Charter

“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.” – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

“A person learns how to love himself through the simple acts of loving and being loved by someone else.” – Haruki Murakami

“People may flatter themselves just as much by thinking that their faults are always present to other people’s minds, as if they believe that the world is always contemplating their individual charms and virtues.” – Elizabeth Gaskell

“To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.” – Sandra Bierig

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” – Oscar Wilde

“No other love no matter how genuine it is, can fulfill one’s heart better than unconditional self-love.” – Edmond Mbiaka

“If you don’t love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won’t be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self.” – Wayne Dyer

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” – M. Scott Peck

“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise L. Hay