A photo that my uncle had posted on Instagram a couple weeks ago really got me thinking. This post read, “And if I asked you to name all of the things that you love, how long would it take for you to name yourself?” Think about this for a second—I am just about positive that most people wouldn’t even think to name themselves when asked this question. And this is a problem.
“I love myself” is a hard sentence for many people to say. Maybe because they think it’s a bit cocky, or simply because they actually don’t love themselves. It took me a while to actually realize just how ridiculous I sounded when I felt as though I couldn’t exclaim my love for myself. Love, in our world, is a tricky thing. Some people love too much, and some people love too little. It’s frustrating, heartbreaking, and extremely upsetting when you love people who don’t love you back. But one person whom you can love and who will always love you back just as much is yourself.
I might just be overly emotional, or maybe I just have too much love, but I believe everyone is good deep down and that everyone is beautiful. Over the past year, I have attempted to fill my life with as much hopefulness, positivity, and light as I possibly could. These attempts have turned me into a person who is not afraid to scream at the top of my lungs that I love myself, and has made me an overall greater person in more ways than one.
Here are three things that I try to do each and every day, that I truly believe make a difference in the person I am.
Dance parties. It may sound totally crazy and childish, but I have a dance party at least once a day with myself. Whether it be studying at my desk while simultaneously dancing along to my favorite Spotify playlist, or full out blasting music in the morning and dancing around my room, I always have a dance party. Not only does this make my heart happy and put a smile on my face, but also it sets me in the right mood to start/get through my day.
Look Good Feel Good. I used to be such a sweatpants and sweatshirt kind of girl, and I’m not saying that I still don’t dress like that most of the time, but actually trying to look good in the morning before leaving the house makes a difference to my day. When I wear clothes that I feel represent who I am and my style, I feel better about myself. Nobody needs to know that the second I get home I throw back on my PJs that I’ve been sleeping in for the past week.
Love. Each and every day I try my best to tell the people in my life that I love them. Whether it is giving my roommate a subtle and unexpected kiss on the cheek, or sending every one of my friends a paragraph about why I love them and to have a great day, I am always throwing around my love. It feels good knowing you put a smile on somebody else’s face.
Love yourselves, people! You have to be completely in love with yourself before you can ever let anyone love you. Because when that love goes away, what else do you have?
