35 Positive Quotes About Self-Love to Brighten Your Day

Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic leader of India’s independence movement, once shared a profound perspective on self-love. Gandhi emphasized that self-love is not a selfish pursuit but a necessary foundation for positive change in the world. He believed that by cultivating love and respect for oneself, individuals could radiate compassion outward, contributing to a harmonious society.

Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence and justice stemmed from his profound understanding of the power of self-love to transform not only personal lives but also the world at large. In his words, “You must be the change you want to see in the world,” encapsulating the idea that genuine self-love propels individuals to become catalysts for positive transformation and social progress.

1. “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” ―Oscar Wilde

2. “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.”— Brené Brown

3. “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” — Sophia Loren

4. “Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.”—Beyoncé

5. “No other love no matter how genuine it is, can fulfill one’s heart better than unconditional self-love.” —Edmond Mbiaka

6. “By doing the work to love ourselves more, I believe we will love each other better.”— Laverne Cox

7. “Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you. Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion. Set your life on fire.”—Rumi

8. “This self-love is the instrument of our preservation; it resembles the provision for the perpetuity of mankind: it is necessary, it is dear to us, it gives us pleasure, and we must conceal it.”—Voltaire

9. “If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” — Marcus Garvey

10. “Loneliness is a sign you are in desperate need of yourself.” ―Rupi Kaur

11. “Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.”—George R.R. Martin

12. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”—George Bernard Shaw

13. “When you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others. When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.” — Solange Knowles

14. “If you’re not someone who has a natural and effortless love for yourself, it’s hard to let go of your desire to please other people, and that’s really not an ingredient for a happy life.”—Anne Hathaway

15. “It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else’s eyes.”— Sally Field

16. “Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting.” — William Shakespeare

17. “As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.”— Charlie Chaplin

18. “Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see a shadow.” — Helen Keller

19. “My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to find peace with exactly who and what I am. To take pride in my thoughts, my appearance, my talents, my flaws and to stop this incessant worrying that I can’t be loved as I am.”―Anaïs Nin

20. “Find your purpose and fling your life out to it. Find a way or make one. Try with all your might. Self-made or never made.”—Orison Swett Marden

21. “The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” — Steve Maraboli

22. “This is not the moment to wilt into the underbrush of your insecurities. You’ve earned the right to grow. You’re going to have to carry the water yourself.” —Cheryl Strayed

23. “You are enough just as you are. Each emotion, everything in your life, everything you do or do not do… where you are and who you are right now is enough. It is perfect.” — Haemin Sunim

24. “The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.”—E.E Cummings

25. “I am what I am: an individual, unique and different.” — Charlie Chaplin

26. “There is you and you. This is a relationship. This is the most important relationship.”―Nayyirah Waheed

27. “You can be happy and still want to improve. You can be happy and still want to be healthier, smarter, more generous, and more compassionate. Because happiness isn’t about complacency. It’s about knowing you’re enough.” — Unknown

28. “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” — Rumi

29. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi

30. “I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”—Brené Brown

31. “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”—J.K. Rowling

32. “Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.” — George R.R. Martin

33. “The people who trigger us to feel negative emotions are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed parts of our being.” — Teal Swan

34. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” — Audrey Hepburn

35. “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.”—Ruth Bader Ginsberg