No matter what stage of life you are in, you may struggle to put yourself first. This is likely because you have been taught that you must put others first, although that is far from the truth. As these quotes on loving yourself will explain, putting yourself first is most important.
It is important to remember that you have to take care of yourself if you want to take care of others. If you have no energy or motivation left in you, it would be impossible to be the person you want to be. This is why putting yourself first is so important, so that you can continue doing what you set out to do.
This isn’t selfish at all, as it is beneficial to all of those around you. If you are happy and taken care of, you can help make those around you feel the same way. Plus, spreading happiness and positivity will change the world, which you will also be able to do.
On the other hand, if you don’t put yourself first, you won’t be fulfilled. You will feel like something is missing, or you will constantly be drained of energy. If you are starting to feel this way now, remember the following quotes on loving yourself and putting yourself first.
Fifteen Quotes on Loving Yourself Remind You to Put Yourself First
1. “Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.” – Robert Holden
If you don’t love yourself, you will struggle to love anyone else fully. The way you think of and treat yourself sets the tone for how you think of and treat everyone else. Keep this in mind and treat yourself the way you want to treat those you love the most.
2. “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
Your time will never be used wisely if you don’t value yourself. You have to value your time and learn to use it for the best possible scenarios.
If you can do this, you will find that your time is being used well. Before you know it, you will see that you are accomplishing much more than you were before.
3. “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
Set boundaries and hold people to them. Your time and energy are more important than what other people want from you.
The choice is entirely yours, so you have to remember to put yourself first in every situation. By doing this, you will be setting the tone for how others treat you, too.
4. “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 don’t have to convince others of your greatness or receive their approval. The only approval you need is yours, and the only way you can get that is by putting yourself first. With self-approval, you will suddenly receive the approval of those around you.
5. “Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in positive ways.” – Jerry Corsten
To respect and love yourself, you have to think positively about yourself. Put yourself first and do what will make you happy and make you better to love yourself.
6. “The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” – C. JoyBell C.
This reminder is intended to make you realize you are the one holding yourself back. If you want to get past this, you have to put yourself first and keep moving forward. Decide to stop hindering your progress and work toward your goals instead.
7. “Self-care is never a selfish act — it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” – Parker Palmer
Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish at all. You can’t take care of anyone else if you haven’t taken care of yourself first. Remember this so that you can keep giving the best of yourself to those around you.
8. “Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance in the world to pursue your dreams.” – Hillary Clinton
You are greater than you may initially realize, and you deserve all the things you seek in life. As Clinton says, you are valuable, powerful, and deserving. Remember this, and make sure to put yourself first always.
9. “Love yourself. Enough to take the actions required for your happiness. Enough to cut yourself loose from the drama-filled past. Enough to set a high standard for relationships. Enough to feed your mind and body in a healthy manner. Enough to forgive yourself. Enough to move on.” – Steve Maraboli
Put yourself first and do what needs to be done so that you can be happy. Let go of negativity and set high standards for those you let close to you. Be healthy, forgive yourself, move on, and put yourself first.
10. “We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create.” – John Lennon
No one is perfect, including you, but you should still love yourself as if you were. Love your imperfections and mistakes, and love who you are. This is the only way you will ever be able to love someone else fully.
11. “There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.” – Ernest Hemingway
Being better than others won’t make you love yourself any more than you already do. What will increase your self-love is being better than you used to be.
Every time you learn or grow, your self-love increases. So, put yourself first so that you have growth opportunities. You won’t ever have these chances if you are constantly putting other people first.
12. “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others.” – Brené Brown
As stated before, you have to set boundaries and enforce them. As Brown explains, even if it upsets other people, your boundaries and well-being should come first.
13. “Falling in love with yourself first doesn’t make you vain or selfish – it makes you indestructible.” – Unknown
By loving yourself, you are becoming stronger and more resilient. You are taking control of your happiness away from others and leaving it in your own hands, instead.
14. “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
This is your life to live, no matter what happens. Remember that and put yourself first because you are the only one who can make the most of your life. You can only rely on yourself, so you have to make sure your well-being comes before that of others.
15. “You were born an original work of art. Stay original always. Originals cost more than imitations.” – Suzy Kassem
Be true to yourself. Stick to your morals and ethics, and do what you know is right. Don’t change yourself for anyone, or you will lose yourself completely.
You are better when you are original and real. Make sure you portray yourself this way always, no matter what those around you want.
Final Thoughts on Quotes on Loving Yourself Remind You to Put Yourself First
Many people find it hard to love themselves and put themselves first truly. They constantly think that putting themselves first is selfish, but that is far from the truth. To take care of others, you must take care of yourself first.
If you are struggling with self-love, remember these quotes on loving yourself. They will remind you always to put yourself first and to think of your well-being above the well-being of others. This is the only way you will be strong, successful, and happy in life.
Now, this isn’t to say you shouldn’t consider the well-being of others. It would be best if you continued to do that, but only after taking care of yourself first. Remember these quotes on loving yourself, and you will quickly find that everything else in life falls into place.