What's Love Gots to Do With It?: Body Image and Self Love

I wanted to wait a while before I did a post about self-love, but I feel that it's something important that we all need to recognize. Now, in no way am I an expert on anything I talk about on this blog or my Facebook page. I simply want to share my experiences and positivity to the world. If my opinion or views on anything are different than yours, I completely respect that, but here's where my head's at in regards to this topic.

I truly believe that the first person you should ever fall in love with should be you. This mentality is something we should be taught from day one. I'm not saying that we should all be told to be the biggest diva we can be, that's obnoxious and unhealthy. We all know at least one person that loves themselves a little too much and how exhausting it can be hearing them share that. However what I am saying that we should all be taught to be confident, fierce, and compassionate towards ourselves.

I'm going to put myself out there and tell you all I have had low self-esteem since childhood. I at times was bullied as a kid based on my weight or how I looked and that stuff stayed with me. I have struggled with believing the things that other people told me about myself FOR YEARS. It didn't matter how many people told me that those things weren't true I couldn't get past people's hateful words.

Through my adolescence I went through phases where I wouldn't wear short sleeved shirts in fear that people would see my third degree burn scars. I wore a full sweat suit swimming one summer to hide myself. I thought that I wasn't worthy of love from myself or anyone else. I belittled myself, always walked with my head down and this continued into my adulthood.

In college it was really bad. I would look at myself in the mirror and legitimately see a creature. I couldn't see anything other than this strange being looking back at me. All I saw was negativity, the things I'd been told by childhood peers and societal expectations wasn't acceptable. I eventually ended up getting some help and some of this subsided.

As I've become an adult I still struggle with these things. In no way is it as bad as it once was, but I do still at times find myself putting myself down. Now I know I'm not the only one here that has gone through issues with body image and self-love, so I'm not writing this just for myself, it's for everyone.

Recently I have got into the bad habit of constantly asking my friends and family if I look fat. If I'm honest, it's not a recent development but lately it's something I ask almost every day. (Sorry James <3) I am loving this recent movement of loving your curves and the skin you're in, but I'm not there yet. Now I have amazing people in my life, and although they shower me with love and compliments this all falls to the waste side. Who out there has found this to be true? No matter how many people tell you "you is kind, you is smart, and you is important", it doesn't matter unless you believe it.

Self-love is the most important love out there. When you love yourself it shows the world that YOU believe you are kind, YOU believe you are smart, and YOU believe you are important. And you are. I am.

With my recent setback of lack of self-love I knew it was important for me to talk about it because there are so many of you beautiful people who are in the same boat. Now let me tell you why it's important to love YOU. I found this great list online that gives you a few of those reasons:

1. When you love who you are, you accept who you are

2. It gives you confidence and approval

3. You will avoid self-reproach

4. When you love yourself you look better

5. If you love yourself you are more likely to have a better family life

6. You'll have happier children (I feel like this must apply to our fur-babies as well...)

7. When you love yourself, the world around you changes

Here's the link to look further into this list: http://womanitely.com/reasons-important-love-yourself/

Is this a scholarly website? Nope, but how could any of that be wrong?

When you love yourself, you're your own cheerleader. When you love yourself you're your own advocate. When you love yourself you're your own inspiration, and there's nothing more beautiful and worthwhile than having all of that within arm’s reach.

So what's my point in writing about self-love? I want you to ask yourself when was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back? When was the last time you told yourself all of the things you LIKE about yourself? If you have recently ,great, keep it going. But if you haven't, I challenge you to do that today. I challenge you to find something you like about yourself EVERYDAY THIS WEEK, and see what a difference it makes. I'll do the same.

Check out this self-love pledge, it's definitely a keeper.

http://anastasiaamour.com/2016/02/11/the-self-love-pledge-you-should-make-every-morning/

Now when you're stuck in a rut like I have been, I want you all to remember we all go through it. We have moments when we think that "we're not enough" or we belittle ourselves and it's not okay. Build yourself up. Tell yourself how friggin' wonderful you are. I guarantee there are so many people in your lives that feel that way about you every day. If I could have you all take one thing away from this post is just remember to be gentle with yourself. There's no one that knows you the way that you do, and that means you know what you need to sooth your soul and what you need to truly love you.

Until next time my friends! Remember to always Spread A Little Love even if you do that just by smiling at yourself in the mirror. <3

#LoveYOU #youissmart #youiskind #youisimportant #SelfLove