101+ Quotes About Self-Love and Confidence

We’ve all heard that we should love ourselves before loving other people. Loving yourself is probably one of the most important things you can do. It’s also something that you need to work on constantly because all too often external factors can influence how we feel about ourselves.

Self love isn’t just about being happy with yourself. It’s also about being comfortable acknowledging your needs and desires. If you don’t love yourself enough to demand respect from the people around you, how can anyone else ever truly respect you?

Self-respect is a key part of having healthy confidence levels. Here are some quotes that show what self love means and why we should practice it.

When people are able to love themselves, they’re able to live happier and more fulfilling lives. That’s what we’re all trying to achieve in the end, isn’t it? We want to experience happiness in our daily lives! Healthy self-love comes from learning how to enjoy your own company. If you don’t love yourself, you’ll always try and find your happiness in other people and things – but once they’re gone, you’ll be unhappy. The bravest thing you can do is to love yourself and lead a confident life.

Loving yourself is essential for all kinds of reasons, and you need to remember that nobody can make you feel like you’re not good enough. If somebody tells you that, it’s their problem – not yours! Try to always stay true to who you are and what makes you happy. Here are 101+ self-love quotes to inspire you to love yourself be confident in who you are.

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101+ Quotes About Self Love and Confidence

“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

I love this quote because it underpins the importance of boundary setting which is something I believe is crucial to taking care of our mental and physical health.

“In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you.” – Andrea Dykstra

This makes it a littler easier to put into perspective the challenging times we go through.

“If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” – RuPaul

Fair, RuPaul, fair.

“You cannot truly love another until you love yourself.” – Mike Combs

Self-love first, baby.

“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is only good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.” – Parker J. Palmer

So true. Self-care is about taking care of you first so you do serve the world in the best way possible.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is one of my favorite self-love quotes because embracing your failures as learning experiences is the best way to combat low self-esteem

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” – Oprah Winfrey

I love this because it means that what you do matters most to you, not other people. Your greatest accomplishment might be doing the right thing even when no one else knew.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde

You’ll alway be there for you.

 

“Love yourself unconditionally, just as you love those who treat you like shit.” – Unknown

Woof.

“You cannot do anything to make God love you more; you can’t do anything to make God love you less.” – Phil Ware

I’m not very outwardly religious myself but I do find this comforting.

“The most important relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Rob Liano

Yes! You are the most important person in your life. True self-esteem comes from within.

“There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, You can’t make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead. You’ve got to know when it’s over. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!” -Tupac

You are the only person who has to stay in your life.

“The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” – TLC

100%.

“I am enough; I am complete; I am full of potential; I am loved; I love.” – Louise Hay

I love this as an affirmation.

“Our self-worth is determined by our actions, not by what we do for others.” – Rieva Lesonsky

Other people’s opinions of you don’t define you.

“Self-love cannot be selfish and selfless at the same time. Love yourself fully and completely.” – Jennie Allen

Yes!

“You can’t depend on anyone else, and you shouldn’t. And when it comes to taking care of yourself, nobody’s going to do that like you.” – Suzy Welch

So true.

Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. – Norman Vincent Peale

And start with yourself!

“The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.” – Hubert H. Humphrey

Do you have a friendship with yourself? I love the idea of being friends with yourself first.

“I want people to be nicer to each other. I guess that’s pretty ambitious.” – Taylor Swift

Being nice to others starts with being nice to yourself.

“I’ve learned you should always keep your heart at a place of gentleness and tolerance, no matter how much you’ve been hurt.” – Eudora Welty

This is along the lines of being angry only hurts you in the end.

“You can’t love anyone else until you learn to love yourself.” – Steve Maraboli

Self-love is the heart of everything we do.

“Just love yourself and watch how life will blossom.” – Alexandra Stoddard

How beautiful is this?

“You don’t need someone to complete you. You only need someone to accept you completely.” – Jason Jordan Scott

Love.

“If you want love and abundance in your life, give it away.” – Mark Twain

What I love about this quote is that it’s saying you’ll receive back what you put out into the world.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

You are the gatekeeper to what gets let into your life.

“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller

Yes.

“It’s not about the people who hurt you, it’s about how you recover from that and take something positive from that and make yourself a better person.” – Demi Lovato

It all comes back to you.

“You are perfect. To think anything less is as pointless as a river thinking that it’s got too many curves or that it moves too slowly or swiftly. Says who? You’re on a journey with no defined beginning, middle or end. There are no wrong twists and turns. There is just being. And your job is to be as you as you can be. This is why you’re here. To shy away from who you truly are would leave the world you-less. You are the only you there is and ever will be. I repeat, you are the only you there is and ever will be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brilliance.” – Paulo Coelho

Lean into your purpose. Lean into your interests. Be who YOU are, not someone else.

“Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.” – David Icke

Being alone isn’t a bad thing.

“I love me… I love me so much, I love me so much. I love me so much it’s stupid.” – Gala Darling

Repeat this every morning.

“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

Wow… life-changing. Remember this if you’re going through a difficult time.

“No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater… The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that’s the key. It’s like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot.” – Ellen Degeneres

I think this is an interesting quote to include because it comes back to you loving yourself enough to set the right boundaries while still valuing other people

“The only time you run out of chances is when you stop taking them.” – Stuart Wilde

Love this. This is one of my favorite inspirational quotes.

“When we love and accept ourselves as we are, we open the door to change.” – Jane Fonda

What a beautiful thought.

“You can’t hide from your own soul. So if you’re hiding from me, you’re hiding from yourself, too.” – Sarah Dessen

Do you lean into yourself as you truly are? Or is who you show the world not the real you?

“The most important relationship in your life is the relationship you have with yourself. Because no matter what happens, you will always be with yourself.” – Diane von Furstenberg

This is why it’s important to put you first.

“You are loved. I repeat, you are loved.” – Maya Angelou

Put this on your mirror.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

Dismantle everything that gets in the way of loving yourself.

“You are unique. Never compare or compete. Be unique. It makes God smile.” – Author Unknown

We are all on our own paths, meant to be who we are meant to be.

“Compassion begins by acknowledging the shared humanity that connects us all.” – Pema Chödrön

And self-compassion should top that list.

“When you are kind to someone in trouble, they may interpret your kindness as an act of love for them. When you are kind to someone happy, they may misinterpret your kindness as jealousy or resentment because they don’t understand that you are a kind and happy person too. When you are kind to someone who is successful, they may misinterpret your kindness as a way of starting a fight because they don’t believe the things you have in common.” – Brene Brown

This is about letting outside emotions influence us too much.

“I think there’s one other important thing I want to add about loving yourself. It’s not selfish. I think it’s important to love yourself and take care of yourself because when you can’t do that, when you hate yourself so much, you’re not really loving your kids either. There comes a point when nobody wins in this situation. You need to be equipped and ready and willing and able to provide your children with all the love and support and nurturing that they need. If you’re not getting that for yourself, how can you give it to them? So take care of yourself.”

Yes, yes, yes.

“When we truly come to understand the nature of impermanence and selflessness, we will see all things in their true light. Then there is no longer any need to be selfish. We rejoice in the happiness of all beings without distinction.”

I love the idea of this because it means we can embrace our own happiness without fear.

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” – Marilyn Monroe

Hold your boundaries.

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

Yup. This is a one of my favorite motivational quotes to remember when I’m not focused on self care.

“I think everyone who has a body experiences self-image. It’s why diets don’t work. You can change your clothes, you can do your hair, but until you really learn to love yourself and come to that place within yourself where you’re whole and complete – no matter what size or shape your body is – then that reflection in the mirror will never be clear.” – Ricki Lake

You are so much more than just a body.

“When we learn to like ourselves, we perform at a higher level and feel better about our lives.” – Zig Ziglar

Let’s talk more about learning to like yourself!

“In order to have self-respect, you have to have respect for your body, for your mind, and if those two things are not connected it’s very hard to have healthy self-esteem. And the solution is essentially learning how to train yourself to be compassionate.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Very interesting.

“Every single one of us has the opportunity to really transform our lives. We all have inner beauty, intelligence and strength; we all have the power to heal ourselves and to develop peace, compassion, joy, patience and love.” – Dalai Lama

We all have the power to heal ourselves.

“I believe in treating others as I would like to be treated myself, and I try to avoid hurting others feelings. I also believe that it’s okay to be different, because being unique is a beautiful thing.” – Steve Maraboli

The Golden Rule.

“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.” – T. Harv Eker

I try to remind myself that no one else is thinking about me as much as I am thinking about me.

“Worthiness is not something you have to prove; it’s something you get to own.” – Brene Brown

Oh.

“The best thing I can do is be authentically myself, show my flaws, show the things that are beautiful about me because there are so many beautiful things about me-and to be kind and not judge someone else’s flaws. We all have them.” – Jennifer Lawrence

Exactly!

“The greatest gift you can give another person is the purity of your attention.” – Richard Moss

Oh how I love this. Especially in the distracted, overly-connected world that we live in.

“You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now, just as you are.” – Deepak Chopra

Nothing about you needs to change.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” – Steve Jobs

Wow.

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

How wonderfully said.

“I am beginning to realize that being good at being me will be my greatest contribution to the world…No has any business doing anything except being exactly who they are.” – Steve Maraboli

“Being good at being me.”

“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise L. Hay

Revolutionary.

“Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball

I love this so, so much. Embrace who you are.

“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” – Kim McMillen

We are at the core of everything we do. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how can we excel at anything else?

“You are beautiful no matter what they say. Words can’t bring you down. You are the only you, believe in yourself.” – The Fault In Our Stars

Tears in my eyes.

“Doing something out of fear is not really doing it at all. We must do things because we want to.” – Frida Kahlo

Are you living out of fear?

“Life is about trusting your gut, staying true to who you are and going after your dreams-not living someone else’s life by settling for their goals.” – Brooke Elliott

Your goals are yours! Not anyone else’s.

“I’m the only person I know that has been through hell and back from depression from years ago that sees any beauty in life at all.” – Demi Lovato

This quote compares oneself a bit too much to other people to me. We all have demons and I think it’s important that we acknowledge what we’ve overcome.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Right on.

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” – Woodrow Wilson

What I love about this is that it means that our contributions to the world are self-driven.

“If there is something you really want, something your heart desires-if it’s sensible or insane; if it’s worldly or ethereal-go for it! What’s keeping you? Nothing but fear?” – Shannon L. Alder

Be confident in what you want. 

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

A quote that inspires confidence and power. 

“We can’t depend on someone else to make us happy and complete.” – Oprah Winfrey

No, we cannot.

“Be the heroine of your life story, not the victim.” – Nora Roberts

How you position yourself in your mind can change how you position yourself in real life. 

“Focus on what you want in your life, not what you don’t want…” – Wayne Dyer

Oh.

“… when you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.” – Donald Miller

Yourself included.

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” – Buddha

How beautiful is it that every day is a fresh start?

“The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known some kind of loss or pain, or have been treated unfairly. And that’s a beautiful thing to observe in another person.” – Johnny Depp

Can you see this in yourself?

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use it the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

You are not full of finite resources. 

“The greatest discovery of all time is that man can alter his life by altering his attitude.” – William James

What a truly wonderful thought.

“Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

I love the idea of enjoying every moment,

“The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.” – Unknown

Fear? We don’t know her.

“The greatest gift that you can give yourself is unconditional love and acceptance.” – Harriet Braiker

Well said.

“I’ve learned that it’s okay to be selfish sometimes. I think it’s important for girls especially to know that it’s okay to focus on yourself and make yourself happy.” – Demi Lovato

It’s always okay to focus in yourself.

“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs, and habits-things I once thought were permanent parts of my life. Today, I know they’re not set in stone. This willingness to let go has made all the difference.” – Kim McMillen

How brilliant to be able to walk away from things.

“Trust yourself and you will know how to live.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Love this.

“Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others.”- Sidney J. Harris

The right attitude starts from within.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all-in which case, you fail by default.” – J. K. Rowling

Act with confidence. This is one of the most powerful confidence quotes out there.

“If you want to be truly adventurous, you must lose your inclination for monotony.” – Veronica Roth

Embrace the chaos.

“Remember to appreciate the life skills you’ve already mastered and keep trying to master new ones, because each makes the other possible.”- Tracey Thurman

We’re always works in progress.

“Start where you are with what you have or don’t waste time complaining about what you wish you had.” -Unknown

Love this.

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

So true. We are our best and most authentic selves when we are in sync.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

Everything we do is putting us closer to or further from happiness.

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coehlo

How wonderful is this?

“A true friend is the one who holds your hand and touches your heart.”- Unknown

Be your own true friend.

“You can’t make yourself feel something you don’t want to feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of how you feel.” – C.S. Lewis

You’ll never do wrong by choosing the right thing.

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up”- Babe Ruth

True.

“Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena

A wonderful quote on self-love.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” -Carl Jung

How nice to know that our lives are not predetermined.

” Where there is love there is life.”-Mahatma Gandhi

Let that start with you.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

Love yourself.

“People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ” – Abraham Lincoln

Happiness is within us.

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it-then I can achieve it!” – Muhammad Ali

Confidence starts here.

“You have power over your mind-not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”- Marcus Aurelius

Absolutely brilliant. It’s not a selfish act to focus on yourself.

“You were born with potential . . . You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You are not a citizen of this world only but also of the universe.” -Jiddu Krishnamurti

Again, how wonderful to think that we are not predestined for any one fate. It can be hard to focus on ourselves, especially in a world with social media, but try to not compare yourself to others.

“You can create your own future.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti

You have it all within you.

“The attitude you have as you enter the activities of each day are more important than the activities themselves.” – Unknown

Start the day on the right foot to help find confidence. Good things come to those who believe in themselves.

“It is not what happens to us that causes us to suffer, but our thoughts about what happens.” – Buddha

How do you let your thoughts affect your confidence? High self-esteem starts from within.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

A daily mantra worth repeating. Loving yourself can have a positive impact on your mental health.

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think.” -Benjamin Spock

Whether it’s through books, mentors, or life experience- self knowledge is key to confidence.

“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship”- Louisa May Alcott

How wonderful; how true.

In Summary

I hope these inspiring quotes bring you comfort in embracing yourself. When people who are dying are asked what their greatest regrets are, it’s often something to do with not embracing themselves to the fullest. Embrace your own powers, live with reasonable confidence, and don’t let tiny matters impact the way you see yourself. Be your most authentic self. Go love yourself.

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