I can buy myself flowers

 

One type of love doesn’t compensate for another. In the modern world, we have popularized the idea of giving ourselves the type of love we want from a partner. We send and consume the message that if we buy ourselves flowers that would compensate for the romance with another person.

It’s a simple enough concept to understand as soon as the type of love we talk about changes.

When a parent dies, we can comprehend that a great mother who unconditionally loves her child cannot compensate for the lost love of a father. Those relationships are not interchangeable. Similarly, your relationship with yourself is not interchangeable with your romantic relationship and vice versa. Taking care of yourself and having a positive inner environment does not make up for a lack of romance. At the same time, the greatest romance cannot make up for a lack of positive self-image and self-worth. However, since your relationship with yourself is at the center of every other relationship, it is still good practice to spend time looking after the garden of your inner world; weeding what you don’t wish to be and sowing seeds of who you wish to become. As you become healthier in body, mind, and spirit, your ability to give and receive love from others enhances, expanding joy in romance, in relationship with your parents, siblings, friends, and anyone else.

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