I Heart Me

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Authors: David Hamilton

BOOK: I Heart Me
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Praise for
I ♥ Me
:

‘I knew I was going to like Dr David Hamilton the first time I met him at an I Can Do It! conference in London. Not only does he regularly engage in victory dancing, one of my all-time favourite activities, but he's a pedigreed scientist with actual evidence that kindness, striking poses and loving yourself is good for the planet. Plus, his story about Dove deodorant falling from the sky is one of my all-time favorite manifestation stories. I was lucky enough to preview an early copy of this wise and wonderful book. And I have but one thing to say: “Why is this not required reading? Why is this not the first book we're handed in life?” It definitely should be.'

P
AM
G
ROUT
,
NY T
IMES
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF 17 BOOKS INCLUDING
E-S
QUARED
AND
E-C
UBED

‘Give yourself the gift of self-love and read this inspiring book.'

R
OBERT
H
OLDEN
P
H
D,
AUTHOR OF
S
HIFT
H
APPENS
!
AND
L
OVEABILITY

‘Feeling unable to be kind to ourselves is an issue for so many - and often the cause of our physical and emotional health issues. David's wise, personal and practical guide to regaining our innate ability to experience self-compassion is such a gift for anyone wanting to move their life and health onwards. I love it.'

P
HIL
P
ARKER, EXPERT IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND GENIUS, INVENTOR OF
T
HE
L
IGHTNING
P
ROCESS
®

‘David's beautiful book has been written from his heart and holds within it the power to return you to yours. Just like David, the guidance shared is genuine, honest and real, and if you want to learn how to love yourself more then I wholeheartedly recommend reading his wise words.'

S
ANDY
C. N
EWBIGGING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
M
IND
C
ALM

‘David has lived every step of this book, which is packed with illuminating science, warm anecdotes and easy-to-apply techniques. His heart and soul shine through every page and the world will be richer for it.'

A
NDREA
G
ARDNER, AUTHOR OF
C
HANGE
Y
OUR
W
ORDS
, C
HANGE
Y
OUR
W
ORLD

‘I LOVE this book, and especially how David weaves science, personal insights and practical ways to feel good about yourself with such an open heart. Get ready to feel nourished and uplifted as you embark upon a wonderful journey of self-love and healing.'

A
LISOUN
M
ACKENZIE, AUTHOR OF
H
EARTATUDE
: T
HE
9 P
RINCIPLES OF
H
EART
-C
ENTERED
S
UCCESS

‘The greatest gift you can give the world is to be at peace with yourself, and self-love is fundamental to that peace. David's book is a wonderful contribution to understanding how you can release learned emotional patterns and allow your natural self-love and compassion to surface. Read it to be inspired, moved and transformed. Thank you, David.'

N
ICK
W
ILLIAMS, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
W
ORK
W
E
W
ERE
B
ORN
T
O
D
O

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, Astley House, 33 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JQ
Tel: +44 (0)20 3675 2450; Fax: +44 (0)20 3675 2451;
www.hayhouse.co.uk

Published and distributed in the United States of America by:
Hay House Inc., PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
Tel: (1) 760 431 7695 or (800) 654 5126
Fax: (1) 760 431 6948 or (800) 650 5115;
www.hayhouse.com

Published and distributed in Australia by:
Hay House Australia Ltd, 18/36 Ralph St, Alexandria NSW 2015
Tel: (61) 2 9669 4299; Fax: (61) 2 9669 4144;
www.hayhouse.com.au

Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by:
Hay House SA (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 990, Witkoppen 2068
Tel/Fax: (27) 11 467 8904;
www.hayhouse.co.za

Published and distributed in India by:
Hay House Publishers India, Muskaan Complex, Plot No.3, B-2,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110 070
Tel: (91) 11 4176 1620; Fax: (91) 11 4176 1630;
www.hayhouse.co.in

Distributed in Canada by:
Raincoast Books, 2440 Viking Way, Richmond, B.C. V6V 1N2
Tel: (1) 604 448 7100; Fax: (1) 604 270 7161;
www.raincoast.com

Text © David Hamilton, 2015

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for ‘fair use' as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the reader's discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third party websites.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-78180-184-0 in print
ISBN 978-1-78180-219-9 in Mobipocket format
ISBN 978-1-78180-220-5 in ePub format

To Oscar

Contents

List of Exercises

Foreword by Anita Moorjani

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part I: Where Are You Now?

Chapter 1: The Three Stages of Self-Love

Stage 1: ‘I'm
Not
Enough'

Stage 2: ‘I've
Had
Enough'

Stage 3: ‘I
Am
Enough'

The Self-Love Gym

You're Only Human

Chapter 2: Meet the Parents

Our Chemical Blend

Self-Worth Contagion

How We Learn to Question Our Worth

Parents

It's Not about Blame

Trying to Do What's Best

Our Responsibility as Parents

Chapter 3: How to Use Your Body to Change How You Feel

The Four Components of Emotion

Fake It and You'll Make It: The Harvard Power Pose

How We Function is Affected by How We Hold Our Body. Fact!

Stand as Though You're Enough and Wire Your Brain Networks

Love Thy Selfie

Chapter 4: Visualization

The Three Rules of Mental Practice

Neuroplasticity

Become a Self-Love Olympian

‘You Can F**k Your Decimals!'

Insight to Wired

Part II: What Does It Matter?

Chapter 5: Does It Matter If People Like You?

Cut Yourself a Little Slack

Why We Want People to Like Us

Why We're Wired to Connect

Why We Shouldn't Compromise Our Authenticity

‘Mirror, Mirror'

Chapter 6: Shame

Extract the ‘I Am'

Four Steps to Shame Resilience

Shrink It Down

We Can Be
Enough
without Needing to be Perfect

Go Out and Connect as Yourself

Chapter 7: Body Image

Love the Skin You're In

Average Joe or GI Joe?

Should You Diet?

Four Steps to Feeling Better about Your Body Image

Chapter 8: Vulnerability

The Power of Vulnerability

Open Up, Let Your Guard Down and Let the Magic In

Getting Some Leverage

At Your Own Pace

Chapter 9: The Law of Personal Gravity

The Law of Personal Repulsion

Life Goes On…

Part III: You Matter

Chapter 10: Self-Compassion

An Antidote to Self-Criticism

A Buffer When Things Go Wrong

Self-Compassion is Healthy

Self-Compassion Strategy 1: Swap a Thought

Self-Compassion Strategy 2: Do the Loving-Kindness Meditation

Self-Compassion Strategy 3: Listen to Your Inner Buddha

Self-Compassion Strategy 4: Strike a Compassion Pose

Chapter 11: Forgiveness

Forgiving Ourselves

Forgiving Others

Chapter 12: What Are You Doing for Yourself?

What Do You Want? What Do You Need?

Take Your Life by the Scruff of the Neck

Why It's Not Selfish to Look after Your Own Needs

Part IV: Where Are You Going?

Chapter 13: Step Up and Step Out

Feel the Fear

Mind the Gap

Interact and Be Kind

Leave Your Comfort Zone

Chapter 14: The Fourth Stage of Self-Love

A Fourth Stage?

There's Nothing Inside

Tuning In

Correlations with Physics

We're Made of Love

The Dove Miracle

Endnote: Because You're Worth It

Afterword

Notes and References

About the Author

Join the Hay House Family

List of Exercises

How Much Are You Like Your Parents?

How Did Your Self-Worth Issues Arise?

What Was Their Intention?

Your ‘I
Am
Enough' Pose

How to Be a Self-Love Olympian

Being Yourself

Set Them Free

Extracting the ‘I Am'

Shrinking It Down

Convince Me That Opinions Are Subjective and Change

Celebrate Your Uniqueness

What Do You Like about Yourself?

Love Thy Selfie Challenge

Being Authentic

Who Are You?

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