Today’s post is probably one of the realest I’ve ever written. Since it’s Valentine’s Day week and that theme centers around love, I decided to talk about what most don’t really address publicly, and that’s #LovingYourself.
I’ve stated this before, but I’m going to say it again –Life is hard, and it isn’t easy. Sometimes things happen out of our control and other times we did it to ourselves and have to experience the consequences. It’s in those moments where we have to remember no matter what is happening around us to love ourselves through it all.
What I’ve learned over the course of my 20s is that loving yourself means showing up for yourself. It’s all in the small everyday details of how we treat ourselves. Do you get enough rest at night, what are you eating that isn’t healthy for your body, what toxic people are you hanging around because you’re lonely, do you exercise, are you stimulating your mind with knowledge and wisdom instead of trash mind-food, etc. These are the questions we must ask ourselves to determine the true core of what we think about ourselves.
I get it, some days you aren’t going to like yourself, but you have to continually tell yourself that you love you. Stop reminiscing on the past, there’s nothing you can do about it. Stop blaming yourself, get up and move forward – you must. When you’re on the road to self-healing, there will be inner self-doubt, self-pity and sometimes shame thrown at you, but you have to cast down those voices and know that you’re better than that. You are better than your past and that isn’t what defines you. The past helped shape you by the lessons learned, but that is not who you are or who you will ultimately be if you don’t allow those thoughts to consume you.
It's not anyone else's responsibility to give you your self-love, you do it for yourself. And often times the people we need love from can only give us so much. They may be on their own self-love journey so be understanding when people don't act the way you need them to - that might be their honest capacity.
This week show up for yourself even if it’s in the most minor way. Be committed to your decisions on what’s best for you, interact with those who genuinely love and appreciate your presence, but most importantly, forgive yourself and let that weight go. Look yourself in the mirror every day and say, “I love you XX, you are smart, resilient and a warrior. You can achieve what you set out to do and make it over any mountain. I appreciate you and I will take care of you to the best of my ability.”
Side note: If you need guidance on the journey to self-love and in the Birmingham area, make sure to contact Strive Counseling for all of your counseling needs.
Sending love and positive vibes your way! Yvonne Camille
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