--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love starts with loving and accepting…" description: "\"“Love starts with loving and accepting yourself as you are. Loving yourself and selfishness are two different things. To love and accept yourself does ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/swami-dhyan-giten-2923_accept-yourself_love-starts-with-loving-and-accepting-yo_972408.jpg" --- # Love starts with loving and accepting yourself as you are… ![“Love starts with loving and accepting yourself as you are. Loving yourself and selfishness are two different things. To love and accept yourself does not mean to be narcissistic and obsessive with yourself. A basic love and acceptance for yourself are a basic phenomenon to learn to love other…” quote by Swami Dhyan Giten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/swami-dhyan-giten-2923_accept-yourself_love-starts-with-loving-and-accepting-yo_972408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/swami-dhyan-giten-2923_accept-yourself_love-starts-with-loving-and-accepting-yo_972408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/swami-dhyan-giten-2923_accept-yourself_love-starts-with-loving-and-accepting-yo_972408.jpg) > ““Love starts with loving and accepting yourself as you are. Loving yourself and selfishness are two different things. To love and accept yourself does not mean to be narcissistic and obsessive with yourself. A basic love and acceptance for yourself are a basic phenomenon to learn to love other people. It is only then that you can really love somebody else. Accept yourself, love yourself, because you are God's creation. There has never been anybody like you, and there will never be anybody like you. You are a unique creation of God, and without you God's symphony would be less. Acceptance creates the climate and atmosphere out of which love grows. Love is only possible when there is a deep acceptance of yourself, a deep acceptance of others and a deep acceptance of existence. Then for the first time, life is happening in your lifeand God is happening in your life. That is what life is all about. The moment you love and accept yourself as you are, you begin to trust yourself, you begin to trust others and you begin to rust existence. When you accept yourself, you begin to accept life. When you reject and condemn yourself, you also rejectlife. If you reject yourself, you are also rejecting God. If you accept, yourself, you also accept God. Then whatsoever happens is God. Then life is good and death is good, then love is good and alonenessis good. But you have been conditioned to not love and accept yourself. Your mind has been poisoned not to love and accept yourself, which creates a tension in you between who you are and how you should be. This creates a tension and anguish in people. Humanity has lived in this tension, anxiety and worry for centuries. All societies and cultures have socialized and taught you an ideal of how to be, which has to be fulfilled. Nobody has ever told you that you are valuable, loveable and a beautiful being as you are. To love and accept yourself as you are is the most difficult thing in the world, because it goes against your socialization, your education and your culture. You have been told how to be by your parents, teachers, politicians and priests. You have been programmed to never love and accept yourself as you are and always strive to get better and improve yourself. When you stop trying to improve yourself to fulfill the ideal of how you should be, in that acceptance life starts flowing through you. When you don't judge and condemn yourself, you flower and life starts caressing you. The whole existence starts pouring its energy into you when you are open. Accepting yourself is prayer. Accepting yourself is gratitude to life. Accepting yourself is to relax into your being, which is how God wants you to be. Accepting yourself is to be who you are. Then life showers its gifts on you abundantly, which we could not receive before because we felt that we were not worthy to receive them. Acceptance is the door to God, to live God in your life.”” [Swami Dhyan Giten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-dhyan-giten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑love and acceptance are prerequisites for loving others and connecting with the divine; rejecting oneself rejects life and God. **In simple terms:** Loving yourself lets you love others and God. Key Takeaway Embrace self‑acceptance to unlock deeper love. Themes self‑love spirituality acceptance identity connection Mood reflective hopeful serene Type philosophical inspirational spiritual When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - spiritual practice - relationship building - mental health Key Concepts self‑worth divine connection psychology social conditioning Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice daily self‑acceptance? - What barriers keep you from seeing your own worth? A Different Perspective Self‑acceptance alone does not guarantee external circumstances; societal pressures may still cause conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-yourself/) [Acceptance of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance-of-others/) [Accepting yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting-yourself/) [Anxiety and worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-and-worry/) [Creation Of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-of-god/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God'S Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-creation/) [Improve Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve-yourself/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-acceptance/) [Love and acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-acceptance/) [Love grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-grows/) [Love yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-yourself/) [Loving yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-yourself/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Trust others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-others/) [Trust yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-yourself/) ## Related quotes > [I'd rather live life accepting who I am and loving it knowing that I am not perfect, than live my whole life pretending to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-live-life-accepting-who-i-am-and-loving-it-knowing-that-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Maybe the secret to fulfillment is to stop wondering what we're lacking; to stop seeking love and instead to start accepting ourselves and loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristine-gasbarre/maybe-the-secret-to-fulfillment-is-to-stop-wondering-what-we-re/) Kristine Gasbarre > [I do think in the present state of both the Church and society we have a long way to go toward accepting and loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-sanchez/i-do-think-in-the-present-state-of-both-the-church-and-society-we/) [Ricardo Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-sanchez/) > [“One thing has not worked for many - been open, accepting everyone, loving too quickly, giving without thinking, but what is wrong with these?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-uzih/one-thing-has-not-worked-for-many-been-open-accepting-everyone-loving/) [Lord Uzih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-uzih/) > [Marriage is about loving someone for who they are and accepting them for their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marriage-is-about-loving-someone-for-who-they-are-and-accepting-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Loving & accepting yourself is NOT a permission slip to stop growing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-accepting-yourself-is-not-a-permission-slip-to-stop-growing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's fun to be an actor and dress up, but I'm happy being me and just loving accepting my personal style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-de-beaufort/it-s-fun-to-be-an-actor-and-dress-up-but-i-m-happy-being-me-and-just/) [India de Beaufort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-de-beaufort/) > [If we took just 5 minutes to recognize each other's beauty, instead of attacking each other for our differences. That's not hard. It's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/if-we-took-just-5-minutes-to-recognize-each-other-s-beauty-instead-of/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [As you focus on simplifying your life, make sure that your approach to the process is a loving and accepting one. Know that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/as-you-focus-on-simplifying-your-life-make-sure-that-your-approach-to/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [We begin by loving and accepting ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/we-begin-by-loving-and-accepting-ourselves/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Loving other people starts with loving ourselves and accepting ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/loving-other-people-starts-with-loving-ourselves-and-accepting/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [I want to be a Christian like Christ - loving and accepting of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-chenoweth/i-want-to-be-a-christian-like-christ-loving-and-accepting-of-other/) [Kristin Chenoweth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-chenoweth/) > [Loving and accepting ourselves are the ultimate acts of courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/loving-and-accepting-ourselves-are-the-ultimate-acts-of-courage/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I think that's the true litmus test for someone who has become closer to Jesus: their heart is more loving, accepting, childlike, less believing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-that-s-the-true-litmus-test-for-someone-who-has-become-closer/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [You have to accept yourself and love yourself just the way you are. 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You are YOU and thats the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-yourself-forgive-yourself-accept-yourself-you-are-you-and-thats/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Make peace with yourself before you move forward. Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/make-peace-with-yourself-before-you-move-forward-accept-yourself-love/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [“We preach FREEDOM, not silenced slavery. Stop being a hypocritical element. Do to others what you can accept yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawale-daniel/we-preach-freedom-not-silenced-slavery-stop-being-a-hypocritical/) [Olawale Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawale-daniel/) > [When you do your best you learn to accept yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/when-you-do-your-best-you-learn-to-accept-yourself/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) [Browse all 193 Accept yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Love starts with loving and accepting yourself as you are. Loving yourself and selfishness are two different things. To love and accept yourself does not mean to be narcissistic and obsessive with yourself. A basic love and acceptance for yourself are a basic phenomenon to learn to love other people. It is only then that you can really love somebody else. Accept yourself, love yourself, because you are God's creation. There has never been anybody like you, and there will never be anybody like you. You are a unique creation of God, and without you God's symphony would be less. Acceptance creates the climate and atmosphere out of which love grows. Love is only possible when there is a deep acceptance of yourself, a deep acceptance of others and a deep acceptance of existence. Then for the first time, life is happening in your lifeand God is happening in your life. That is what life is all about. The moment you love and accept yourself as you are, you begin to trust yourself, you begin to trust others and you begin to rust existence. When you accept yourself, you begin to accept life. When you reject and condemn yourself, you also rejectlife. If you reject yourself, you are also rejecting God. If you accept, yourself, you also accept God. Then whatsoever happens is God. Then life is good and death is good, then love is good and alonenessis good. But you have been conditioned to not love and accept yourself. Your mind has been poisoned not to love and accept yourself, which creates a tension in you between who you are and how you should be. This creates a tension and anguish in people. Humanity has lived in this tension, anxiety and worry for centuries. All societies and cultures have socialized and taught you an ideal of how to be, which has to be fulfilled. Nobody has ever told you that you are valuable, loveable and a beautiful being as you are. To love and accept yourself as you are is the most difficult thing in the world, because it goes against your socialization, your education and your culture. You have been told how to be by your parents, teachers, politicians and priests. You have been programmed to never love and accept yourself as you are and always strive to get better and improve yourself. When you stop trying to improve yourself to fulfill the ideal of how you should be, in that acceptance life starts flowing through you. When you don't judge and condemn yourself, you flower and life starts caressing you. The whole existence starts pouring its energy into you when you are open. Accepting yourself is prayer. Accepting yourself is gratitude to life. Accepting yourself is to relax into your being, which is how God wants you to be. Accepting yourself is to be who you are. Then life showers its gifts on you abundantly, which we could not receive before because we felt that we were not worthy to receive them. 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