How to Love Yourself: In Less Than a Week & Also for the Rest of Your Life
Rachel Madorsky, LCSW
Muse Literary (2023)
ISBN: 978-1958714126
Reviewed by Stephanie Elizabeth Long for Reader Views (03/2023)
Self-love is a popular topic that has received much attention in the last few years. How can we love others and let them love us if we don’t love ourselves first? We’ve all heard that you cannot pour from an empty cup – well, think of your heart as your cup; every time you nurture yourself with kindness and compassion, you pour, and before you know it, it is full to the brim! That being said, practicing self-love can be a completely foreign concept, but fear not! Rachel Madorsky, LCSW, has created this charming book to give you a starting point so you can become your biggest fan in less than a week.
“How to Love Yourself: In Less Than a Week & Also for the Rest of Your Life” is an excellent resource for your toolkit. It comprises fifteen concise chapters, and the writing is light but heavy on effectiveness. She begins with affirmations and mindset, then provides gentle inquiry and delves deeper into short exercises readers can practice maximizing their understanding.
While feeling conflicted and stagnant in my self-love journey, this book came to me precisely when I needed it most. I have many books on the topic, and sadly they are all collecting dust on my bookshelf due to the long length and yawn-inducing writing styles. But with this little guidebook, Rachel Madorsky renewed my interest by taking a fresh perspective and keeping it simple! I read it in one sitting and gleaned many new ideas and exercises that will undoubtedly aid me in my quest for greater self-love.
While I adored everything about the writing, what resonated with me most was the importance of having a positive mindset. The words we choose to say to ourselves and how we perceive things are game-changers. For example, instead of bombarding myself with something that I “should” do, changing the script to things I “could” do releases the negativity and no longer feels like a punishment. (It also made running five miles and finishing the first draft of a project more pleasurable!)
Everything about this book screams effervescence and positivity. Beyond the inspirational message, the pages were adorned with endearing sketches of hearts, outstretched arms, and magic wands, which quickly put my mind at ease. There were also drawings of post-it notes with inspirational messages spread across the pages—this was a clever choice made by the author. It’s incredible how much cheery visuals elevated my reading experience.
If you’re feeling stuck in a negative space, let this book be your guide. It’s simply written and designed to be read repeatedly to inspire your self-love evolution. You can work on one chapter at a time or all of them, and you’ll feel the change instantly. So, what are you waiting for? Snag this book, get comfortable, and let’s start working on the most important relationship you’ll ever have—the one with yourself!
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