I am a huge believer in self-love. I find it extremely necessary to constantly remind yourself of your best qualities. Not in a conceited, “I am greater than everybody else” kind of way -- but more so in a way to ensure yourself that you are certainly worth something. Years ago, it was a struggle coming to the conclusion of my favorite thing about myself. I had no real talent, I thought I was too weird, I never got a suntan, I didn’t like the way my side profile looked, etc. I didn’t have a true way to define myself, or any clue who I was or let alone who I wanted to be. It took more energy coming up with 100 things I didn’t like about myself than coming up with just one favorite thing.
Today, I am proud to say that it is way easier for me to come up with things I love about myself than the things I don’t. I love the way I can make anyone smile or laugh. I love that although I don’t always know the right thing to say in some situations, my actions are usually louder than my words. I love that even though I have been knocked down so many times, I am still somehow able to find a way to get back up again. I love that I don’t care what people think about me, and that I have become proficient in sticking to who I am as a person. I have learned that looks aren't everything, and that real beauty comes from within -- I love that I learned this lesson and am proud to call myself beautiful. I hope I never veer away from this mentality.
This week, I decided to trick my friends and send them a very vague email. I wrote,
“Please respond to this email and tell me you favorite thing about yourself! No guidelines.”
I have always been a very sappy and emotional friend, so this didn’t come as a surprise to them. Many responded saying it was a very tough task and that they would have loved more instructions. I have highlighted my favorite parts of each of their answers below. (By the way, they have no idea that I am sharing their responses to the public.)
“My favorite thing about myself is that I totally rock. And by that, I mean that I must be doing something right because I have the most amazing friends in the entire world. How I can be so incredibly lucky is beyond me. The fact that [my friends] love me must mean I rock. Also, I’m pretty fun and and smiley.”
“My favorite thing about myself is my ability to overcome any challenge put in front of me thus far.”
“This is hard but I'd probably have to say my favorite thing about myself is the people I attract, like how naturally I'm surrounded by some of the best people in the world.”
“My favorite thing about myself is that I'm passionate in whatever I do (it comes along with being a Scorpio). I dive head first into whatever I do, whether it's school, my job, my friendships, romantic relationships, and unfortunately when I hold grudges or dislike a person. I have a drive to fulfill whatever is on my agenda and usually, this is my favorite quality about myself.”
“My optimism! Or else I’d be a sad lonely loser.”
“My favorite thing about myself is knowing that I'm always there for my friends. Whether they need someone to cry with, someone to go out and [drink] with, or a little bit of both cause sometimes the night ends with that too. Either way I'm there because they are the best group of people I know.”
“My favorite thing about myself is that I have dancing in my life because it has provided me with a lot. For example, it is a space where I can express myself with my body and feel beautiful. It can also be therapeutic and a good physical exercise.”
“My fave thing about myself is prob my judgment of character in people. I honestly attribute all my happiness to the people in my life. Growing up and especially over the past few years I've realized that not everyone you think would be in your life forever will stay, and that's okay, and I am so much better off because of it. It is so important to know your worth and be around people who bring out the best in you and make you want to be even better (relationship wise and friendships) Some of my best friends are people I look up to. Some I have been friends with since pre-K and elementary school and some I have met just this year and have already changed my life. These people are strong, positive, compassionate and have a sense of humor. These are qualities that I want in my life and I truly believe I surround myself with people who acquire all of these in their own special way. I'm so proud of the people who are in my life and I feel so #blessed every single day.”
I hope these insights from my beautiful friends can offer up some inspiration for those who struggle with self-love. It is so important to love yourself, and be able to answer this question with ease. Thanks in advance, you guys!
