It usually doesn’t begin in a pretty way. It usually starts in the lowest place on your darkest days. It’s the love story that most of us are blind to at first. The love story of yourself.
Loving yourself sounds like such a cliché, but I’ve learned it is one of the most important things you can do. Someone once told me “you can’t love someone else if you don’t love yourself.” I don’t necessarily know if I believe that. For the longest time I’ve only known love to be with other people or animals. If you asked me who I loved a year ago I don’t think myself would’ve popped up on that list.
I never hated myself, I just never took the time to appreciate all that I am. I spent years investing my time into other people and making sure I distracted myself by always focusing on others. Then, finally, it got ugly. This was when I realized that I needed someone. It wasn’t my mom or my best friend- it was myself.
I love my family and my friends to pieces, but I knew I needed to love me.
This is hard concept to understand. I mean sure there are days when we wake up and have good hair days or maybe are outfits are killing it, but this needs to be an everyday thought. That even on your worse days, you still choose to love you. Because isn't that what you would do with a significant other?
I knew I needed to make this change when I started to feel like I was one of those girls everyone talked about that always had a boyfriend. I didn't want to be defined as "his girl", I want to be defined by who I am.
So, first I needed to discover exactly who I was and what I wanted out of this life, and with that, I fell in love.
But, it’s sometimes hard to accept and teach self-love in this society when we are constantly talking about how cocky and self-absorbed people are.
There is nothing wrong with looking in the mirror every morning and thinking, “wow, I’m beautiful.” There’s nothing wrong with looking at your body and thinking, “I look good.” There’s nothing wrong with bragging on your intelligence and accomplishments- BRAG AWAY. Now I realize that everyone is going to have at least a few bad days. Love is never perfect, it's just worth it.
This is your life, and you only have one. So, how I see it, everyone is going to let you down sometimes and you will have to be on your own at some point, so why not love yourself? Why not make the most beautiful love story?
You are SO worthy of the love you give others.
