Hey all,

Today’s topic is about loving ourselves at every part of our journey. My intention was to write about something else, but as I was driving today the thought about self-love came into my mind; so here we go!

There is a lot currently out there about growth, evolution, and change. Some of us are so focused on “getting somewhere” and being the person that we imagine ourselves to be that we forget that we are already amazing right now! I do have to say that I think imagination is a great tool for us. Through imagination we can dream about who we want to be and then take steps toward accomplishing these dreams. However, I find that I sometimes get way too caught up in who I want to be and forget to love who I am. I forget that the person that is working so hard to change and grow is a person that is worth congratulating and is worth love at this moment. No matter what!

To be honest, there may never be time where we feel that we have “finally made it”. By that I mean we have accomplished everything that we have wanted to, we eat exactly the right things, have exactly the right partner, career, job, kids, house, etc. This is probably never going to happen. Life is perfectly imperfect and it is that way for a reason. If things were always satisfying then we would never be pushed to evolve into something else. Life is inherently emerging creatively all of the time, and we are a part of that dance of life.

You may look back and think negatively about who you were before. I know that I sometimes do. But the person I was before is no less than the person I am now. I am proud of her because at some point she found the courage to take chances and to follow her dreams, not knowing where she might end up. You may think that current you isn’t worth praise, validation, or worth. But you are! The more that you realize this the easier it will be for you to continue on your path. You can’t get anywhere unless you first climb the mountain within you. Yes, outwardly you can accomplish things and check off boxes, but if you never look inside yourself and realize that you are already whole, then what have you really accomplished?

This is easier said than done. We have been conditioned to look outside ourselves for validation from co-workers, parents, friends, and society as a whole. We humans are social creatures and want to be accepted by our tribe. But in order to be accepted by others we need to first accept ourselves; the good and the bad parts. I also want to elaborate and say that there are no “good” and “bad” parts. It is only how we perceive them that we feel this way about them.

You are worthy of everything right now. In this exact moment. You can be happy right now if you choose to be (not to be confused with toxic positivity). You have everything that you want and need at this time. I promise you. You are worthy of love and you are enough. Sometimes life can be tough and we experience doubt about who we are and our decisions. This is a part of being human. But you can decide what you say to yourself and how you feel about yourself. No one else is going to do this for you.

A friend of mine shared this quote recently, “I do not trust people who don’t love themselves and yet tell me, ‘I love you.’ There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.” -Maya Angelou.

Love you all, have a good rest of your week. Remember to show some love to yourself and notice what you are saying to yourself. Be mindful and gentle:).

Peace,

Rylee