I never thought anyone liked me, especially in middle/high school. I was always an outsider, I admit that. I talked to imaginary friends on the playground in elementary school, I always wore what I liked, regardless of trends, and I never felt the need to be part of the "in" crowd. But I still felt lonely and rejected. Looking back, I don't think it was that people didn't like me. It was that I didn't like myself and assumed everyone else felt the same way.
How could I see that people wanted to be my friend when I didn't even want to be my friend? I pushed everyone away because they didn't understand me - that was my excuse anyway. I didn't feel like I could be myself without ridicule.
Self-love is such a huge issue for many of us. It starts early and sometimes continues on into our 30s, 40s, even 50s. I didn't start feeling really comfortable with myself until about two years ago. I could never see my own beauty - the inside and outside kind.
When I met my boyfriend three years ago I still had a destructive mindset. Part of it had to do with depression/anxiety and part of it had to do with me not wanting to let go of old thinking patterns. Who was I without depression? Who was I without negative thoughts? Who was I without hating myself?
My bf taught me a lot about self-love and helped me recognize my unique beauty. I also had to find it on my own because no matter how many times someone tells us we're beautiful/smart/amazing, we won't believe it until we actually learn to love ourselves. And it doesn't happen overnight. It's something we work at.
A lot of self-love is trusting in your own abilities. It's trusting that you are loved because of who you are, not because of what you wear or how your hair looks in the morning. It's trusting that you can make it on your own, that you can be happy and independent. I always placed my value in other peoples' opinions of me and that is just exhausting. I finally let go of needing to be the most amazing, gorgeous person alive. That's just not gonna happen. It's so freeing to let go of that mindset and embrace your uniqueness, your quirks, your scars, your bad hair days.
I really learned to love myself when I stopped trying to be the best. The best writer, the best artist, the best dancer, the best body, the best face. I can't be all those things to everyone. I can only be me, fair skin, soft-spoken, bookworm and all. And if that's not good enough for someone, so be it! All the important people love and respect me.
I love and respect me. I am brave, slightly oblivious, a little odd, and my ears stick out. It's good to be me :)
Now it's your turn. Why is it good to be you?
How could I see that people wanted to be my friend when I didn't even want to be my friend? I pushed everyone away because they didn't understand me - that was my excuse anyway. I didn't feel like I could be myself without ridicule.
Self-love is such a huge issue for many of us. It starts early and sometimes continues on into our 30s, 40s, even 50s. I didn't start feeling really comfortable with myself until about two years ago. I could never see my own beauty - the inside and outside kind.
When I met my boyfriend three years ago I still had a destructive mindset. Part of it had to do with depression/anxiety and part of it had to do with me not wanting to let go of old thinking patterns. Who was I without depression? Who was I without negative thoughts? Who was I without hating myself?
My bf taught me a lot about self-love and helped me recognize my unique beauty. I also had to find it on my own because no matter how many times someone tells us we're beautiful/smart/amazing, we won't believe it until we actually learn to love ourselves. And it doesn't happen overnight. It's something we work at.
A lot of self-love is trusting in your own abilities. It's trusting that you are loved because of who you are, not because of what you wear or how your hair looks in the morning. It's trusting that you can make it on your own, that you can be happy and independent. I always placed my value in other peoples' opinions of me and that is just exhausting. I finally let go of needing to be the most amazing, gorgeous person alive. That's just not gonna happen. It's so freeing to let go of that mindset and embrace your uniqueness, your quirks, your scars, your bad hair days.
I really learned to love myself when I stopped trying to be the best. The best writer, the best artist, the best dancer, the best body, the best face. I can't be all those things to everyone. I can only be me, fair skin, soft-spoken, bookworm and all. And if that's not good enough for someone, so be it! All the important people love and respect me.
I love and respect me. I am brave, slightly oblivious, a little odd, and my ears stick out. It's good to be me :)
Now it's your turn. Why is it good to be you?
