As 2018 approaches, many of you are already thinking about resolutions, right? Get more sleep, eat healthier, get to the gym more, cut out the unhealthy habits, curse less, save money, get out of debt, etc., the list goes on. But what If the one thing you put on the list is loving yourself more? Like many of you, I also create a list of resolutions that quite honestly, I rarely keep. So this year, my only resolution is loving myself more wholeheartedly flaws and mistakes and all.
You ask why just one? Well, like the extensive list that the world creates this time of year, it is much easier for me to focus on one and achieve it. Plus, it is one that is often overlooked and I feel is important. Granted loving yourself will always be a work in progress but this is the theme that I am choosing, and I challenge all of you to do the same. For so long, I allowed others to dictate how I should feel, what I should do, how I should look, where I should go or even how to act. I lost who I was and felt that being told I love you or you are beautiful made me whole. The reality is, I didn’t love myself enough and until this day, I have moments of doubt and insecurity. I am human too!! Yes, it is all a mindset of embracing who we are regardless of what others think. But if you surround yourself with negative people who tell you negative things like you aren’t good enough to teach, or worth being with, you begin to internalize all that. What you hear you become or at least you think you are until you have that aha moment!!
“Love yourself first and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball
LOVING YOURSELF comes in various forms. Absolutely committing to a healthier lifestyle via nutrition and working out is part of the mix, but loving yourself also encompasses removing stress and negativity from your life. Even it means removing people and your environment. LOVING YOURSELF means self-care, taking that time to just breathe and unplug. LOVING YOURSELF means loving unconditionally, looking in the mirror and embracing your flaws yet turn it into a positive. LOVING YOURSELF means pampering yourself from head to toe, with a new hairstyle, manicure, pedicure, spa and a sexy new outfit. LOVING YOURSELF means waking up every morning being grateful for another day and saying damn I am beautiful. LOVING YOURSELF means having the courage to say NO and mean it. LOVING YOURSELF means using your voice to express your opinions and thoughts. LOVING YOURSELF means being vulnerable at times even if it scares you.
Loving yourself is not a selfish act at all. Before you can love anyone else, you really must learn to love yourself first. We are so quick to offer love and kindness to others, but we forget to offer love to ourselves. As adults, managing life, work and family does become a juggling act and sometimes you just lose the core being of who you are. It is not until you remove yourself from that negativity when you begin to love and value the beautiful human being that you are again. That was the case for me. So, ladies take stock of this past year, the mistakes you made and the lessons you learned. Approach 2018 with LOVE, FORTITUDE, FORGIVENESS and CONFIDENCE of yourself first and the rest will follow!!
