Love for self

I wonder what Jesus' command to love one's neighbor as one loves themselvese looks like exactly.

I get the whole Love the Lord your God with all of your heart mind and strength. I along with other Christians are asked to put Jesus above all else and base our life and relationships on his love for us-then extending the same type of love to others.

But what does loving oneself involve?

I think it's some of the following.

1) Eat healthy foods-and take time to cook and eat them sitting down with others when possible.
2) Get 7-9 hours a sleep often
3) Exercise often.
4) Hug your children and tell them you love them
5) Hug your spouse or significant other and tell them you love them
6) Believe it when God says we're forgiven. Jesus says that when we confess our sins that God is just and forgives us of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Don't beat yourself up or degrade who you are in the name of being humble.
7) Be truly humble-seeking first how we may offer a loving word, action, or thought rather than how we might judge or point out the speck in someone else's eye when we have a plank in our own. When we don't spend energy judging other people then we have more energy for loving-this builds us up.
8) Remind yourself every day that you are created in the image of God-and that God dwells within you-Christ is in you the hope of glory.
9) Wear clothes that make you feel good-shallow one-but effective nonetheless. Even if its something you got from the thrift store-if it is comfy and makes you feel good-enjoy it.
10) Seek the enjoyment in every task-even if you hate whatever it is you are doing-like a necessity at work or home-think of what you are doing as giving glory to God-and seek how it can be thought of as fun. This won't always work-but if you re frame the thoughts-then the feelings follow.

11) Think positive thoughts-if you find yourself thinking a negative thought-ask God to help you replace it with a positive thought. It works-re frame the thought-the feelings follow-positive thoughts=positive attitudes=positive action=positive results.

12) Don't waste your time arguing. Stop and ask yourself "What is going on with this person?" Seek first to understand and then to be understood (As in one of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People)

Typically if you understand where someone is coming from, their motivation if possible-then you can determine if a response is appropriate. Sometimes people are coming from a place of hate-and sometimes they are coming from a place of love. If hate, then shake the dust off of your sandals and move on from that village is how Jesus worded it. To spend time in the presence of one who will not accept you as the child of God you are takes away from your place as a child of God. The problem then lies with them.

13) Laugh, laugh some more, laugh again, laugh laugh and laugh. There was some statistic that said children on average laugh four or more times in an hour-and they're happier in general for it. Granted they don't have a job, a mortgage, a relationship with a mate, taxes, or responsibilities to weigh them down-but Jesus instructed us to have faith like a child, and to receive the Kingdom of God like a child. This means with happiness, and laughter at the ready-lightness of heart and mind, and freedom to not worry about what other people think about us. Another factor to consider is that children laugh when someone says "You're a dookie head." and comments similar to that. It may take a LITTLE more to amuse us when we're older.

and FINALLY my last morsel of wisdom for us to savor:

14) Go outside and play instead of spending time writing blogs all the time.

Gotta go there's a swing outside with my name on it. I have to find out who's going around writing my name on playground equipment.
Dwight