Self love. Many people claim to act as if they know what these terms mean, but do we really? Is self love just a bubble bath at the end of a long work week? Is it buying hella candles at a Bath & Body Works sale? Or is self love knowing when to walk away from a situation that is not good for your mental state? The definition of self love means to “Regard one’s well-being and happiness.” What makes you happy? Is it knowing that you have something to look forward to? Have you recently left a toxic relationship? Or what seems to be every woman’s dream, to lose weight? Self love is more than a scroll on TikTok or even an advertisement on T.V.
Self love is when you find happiness within yourself every single day. You appreciate all that you have accomplished and what is going to be accomplished. You give thanks to the decisions that have led you to the life you have. Self love is when you can look at yourself in the mirror naked and smile. When is the last time you look at yourself fully naked in the mirror and not look away or get disgusted with yourself? Honestly, think to yourself. When is the last time? Self love means to love every inch of your body without an explanation. Every scar, bump or stretch marks – you wear them like it is your very own crown from God himself. Self love also means not talking bad about yourself to yourself. Ladies, we all do it! But why is that? Why do we talk negatively about ourselves? To value the true meaning of self love would mean that we love ourselves enough not to disrespect ourselves. Canceling going to the gym? That’s disrespectful towards your body. Going back to a toxic relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend? That is disrespectful towards your mental and emotional health. Why don’t you love yourself enough to walk away from them? Why do you have such little respect for yourself, to the point where you feel you deserve such disrespect from your partner or family? Who taught you these treacherous things? You did. The moment you felt unloved by someone special, you automatically thought you deserve less than what you were already getting.
In 2022, it is our job to love ourselves more. Life and our bodies are the only thing we get for free, so we must invest in it. No one is going to invest in you, YOU have to invest in you. Make this your number one goal for the rest of the year. Love yourself and know what it means to love you – not your significant other, not your parents, not your best friends, YOU. This year is for YOU. You deserve to love yourself, you deserve to value your own worth. You deserve to smile without a reason. You deserve to live a life that is meaningful to you.