Everyone has a New Year's Resolution that they want to stick to, whether that be losing weight or gaining it, drinking more water, landing a dream job and even starting a family.
For me, I would like to do all of those things minus the family part - I want to finish school and start a career first - but I think one thing takes priority over them.
Loving myself is something that I have struggled with for years now, even in middle school when my body was still going through puberty. Sure, there are moments where I am un-apologetically happy and loving my life, but I must admit that not loving myself is my biggest flaw.
2019 is a new year, which means a new start. Loving myself won't happen tomorrow, in a few weeks or even a month from now. It takes lots of time, patience and positivity, so what better way to start than to list some of the things to love about my body.
Everything from my hips down to my toes is weak, but that hasn't stopped my legs and feet from carrying me to the barricade of an All Time Low concert. They've carried me into venues all across the United States, into movie theaters with my friends and family and have taken me to some pretty cool places.
My fingers have typed up some pretty newsworthy stories for my school's student-run publication, wrote some pretty wild short stories and have sent Tweets and Instagram posts to express my love for friends, family, and band members, of course. They've run through my dog's and cat's fur and have held my animals close to me when I needed them most.
My arms have been wrapped around my friends when they needed a hug, have carried camera equipment for my education and have hugged my favorite band members.
My hair, though it is frizzy and knotted sometimes, has been tugged on by my little cousins, reminding me that I am a role model and someone to look up to. It has taught me that someone is always watching you.
The big brown eyes on my face have cried both happy and sad tears, watched many of my favorite artists perform live, watched a few friends and family get married, and have watched many of my favorite television shows and movies.
My stomach, though it slightly hangs over my pants and has a few stretch marks, has been full of my favorite foods numerous times, reminding me that I am thankful to always have food to eat.
Lastly, my brain, though the cerebellum is slightly faulty, is smart. It's retained knowledge and gotten me through college.
There are things about my body that I do not like, I will be the first to admit that. I spent so much time wishing that my hair was straighter, my stomach was flatter, my thighs were smaller and I walked a little straighter, that I didn't focus on the things that my body has already done for me.
Sure, there's room for improvement. There's room to start drinking that water and to lose some weight, but there's also more than enough room to start loving the body that I've already been given.
It's time to make self love a priority in 2019.
