The Third Great Commandment
28 ¶ And one of the ascribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, aHear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. – St Mark 12:28-31
“Love thy Neighbor as thyself”, means you really have to love yourself first before you can truly love your neighbor. Give yourself mercy and you will find you have enough to give others. Appreciate your own talents and you wont be jealous of the talent’s of others. Forgive yourself and you will be able to forgive others quickly and with more compassion. Find your beauty and everyone will become beautiful to you. This is a natural law. Your relationships will automatically improve, people will want to be around you more, you will be less stressed and have more energy. You tend to make good decisions and choices that will positively affect your life. And when you truly love yourself you are more able to accept the Atonement in your life and feel the love of your Savior.
All this for keeping this particular commandment. But how do you do it? Here are some tips I’ve found handy.
1. When you are feeling good about yourself take a moment to write a list of things you love about yourself. Then add on to it every day. Hang it on your mirror and review it constantly.
2. Be the first to recognize your own accomplishments. Don’t wait or expect everyone else to give you validation. It is more powerful when it comes from within.
3. Accept compliments gracefully and agree with them politely when you can. For example, “That is a lovely dress you are wearing.” you might say, “Thank you, I just love it.”
4. Stand up for yourself. When someone says or does something that may hurt you, say something right away. The more you do this the more you will convince your mind that you are worth standing up for. Go ahead – you have my permission. Go to the person directly and if you can privately so that you don’t get other’s involved unless you need to. (ie police)
5. Keep Learning – In the September Visiting Teaching Message, Robert D. Hales Writes,
“Lifelong learning is essential to the vitality of the human mind, body, and soul. It enhances self-worth and self-actuation. Lifelong learning is invigorating mentally and is a great defense against aging, depression, and self-doubt” (“The Journey of Lifelong Learning,” in Brigham Young University 2008–2009 Speeches [2009], 2, 8–9).
6. Exercise – When you exercise, your mind creates the chemicals you need to be happy, to see things more clearly and to make good decisions. Every time you put yourself first to exercise it tells your mind and soul you are worth the time you put into it.
“Lifelong learning is essential to the vitality of the human mind, body, and soul. It enhances self-worth and self-actuation. Lifelong learning is invigorating mentally and is a great defense against aging, depression, and self-doubt” (“The Journey of Lifelong Learning,” in Brigham Young University 2008–2009 Speeches [2009], 2, 8–9).
6. Exercise – When you exercise, your mind creates the chemicals you need to be happy, to see things more clearly and to make good decisions. Every time you put yourself first to exercise it tells your mind and soul you are worth the time you put into it.
7. Eat healthy and drink a lot of water – When you make the effort to eat something healthy your mind gets the message that your body is a temple. It is a sign of respect for the person you are. The water also keeps your body clean and pure and your complexion will show that. You will see a big difference every time you look in the mirror.