How to Love Yourself (even if it’s been hard in the past)
This morning I woke up on a total self-love high! I’ve actually been feeling rather low these past few weeks. I’ve been exhausted trying to balance a busy season at work, graduate school, and pageant prep (yes, I’ve entered a beauty pageant!). Considering the magnitude of all that is piled on my plate, I’ve been doing quite remarkably, but as a type A perfectionist, I am always striving to do even more and do even better. I take on an almost impossible number of daily tasks. My therapist says I’ve been keeping myself busy to keep from processing a major breakup I went through a few years back. Likely true. All this to say, times have been stressful and busy lately. I’ve been hard on myself.
But not this weekend. I literally woke up on Thursday and declared that day and the upcoming weekend to be the best days of my life thus far. I made a conscious decision to shirk the weight of the opinions of others, to say positive self-affirmations in the mirror (whether I believed them currently or not) and to just love me as I am. Afterall, I’ve been judging and talking down to myself for almost 34 years now and it hasn’t worked. What’s the worst that could happen if I decide to talk positively to myself and love on myself? Really, though? Could I feel any worse than I do now on my low days?
So, I’ve worn what I wanted to wear. I’ve flirted with people I wouldn’t have before. I’ve worked on this blog. I’ve practiced my makeup. I’ve listened to power music. I tried on a zillion swimsuits! It’s been three days and I feel better inside than I ever have. And it must exude, because the sweet boy at Target totally flirted back!
Fake that ish until you make it! Your subconscious will totally follow.
So, here’s my advice for today for anyone struggling with feeling self-love. They tell us it’s not supposed to happen overnight. It takes therapy and a lot of time. This could be true in many instances, but let’s start the journey today. Let’s start right now. Fake that ish until you make it! Your subconscious will totally follow. So, today, right now, I have an exercise for you to try. I know it will feel uncomfortable at first, especially if you’ve been hating on yourself for decades. But there is no better time than today to start loving yourself.
The Exercise for How to Love Yourself
Look at yourself in the mirror. Like, really look. Naked. Full body. I mean in. Absorb it all in. I know there are things that you haven’t liked about your body. Some body features you can work on improving in the future, some things you will have to learn to accept. And remember, you are allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress at the exact same time. But you will struggle moving forward without an ample dose of inner love, so let’s get loving!
You are as magnificent as the bright red cardinal, majestic blue jays, butterflies and the sun.
Tell yourself you love yourself. Tell yourself you are beautiful. Acknowledge that you are worthy, a child of God. You are as magnificent as the bright red cardinal, majestic blue jays, butterflies and the sun. You are made of the exact same stuff, created by the exact same creator. You are unique and needed. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here to complete this exercise today.
Look yourself in the eye. Repeat to whatever chosen positive affirmation you want in the mirror. You deserve it. There is nothing you have done or will do on this planet that can separate you from the love of the creator of the universe. You are unconditionally loved. Accept it. Embody it. Live it. It is from this that you can continue to love others fully. We love because He first loved us. We must feel love from God and ourselves before we can *truly* and *deeply* pour it out for others.
I know it’s been hard lately for all of us, but with a concerted effort toward self love, you can move forward swimmingly well.
Love,
Joy
