I saw this acronym on the internet for the word “fly” and I thought it was so clever.
F=first L=love Y=yourself
People are always looking for the right outfit or the right hairstyle to make them look “fly” (I know we don’t use that word anymore to describe a look, but for this article, I think it’s more than appropriate to do so). Although a cute fit and a few bundles would definitely give you some temporary attention, people tend to forget the real recipe for a complete head to toe makeover. I found a quote a while ago and have always remembered it – as a matter of fact, it’s taped to my mirror so I can read it every morning while I get dressed. It says:
“Love who you are, embrace who you are. Love Yourself. When you are yourself, people can pick up on that; they can see confidence, they can see self-esteem, and naturally, people gravitate towards you.”
Because I believe in this quote so much, I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret about myself. Unlike some, growing up I didn’t worry too much about my appearance or about what people thought about me. It wasn’t until I got into college when some self-confidence issues started to really phase me. I began looking at other females and comparing myself to them. I would scroll on social media for hours at a time wondering how other girls got to where they were and wondered why I wasn’t living a life like theirs. I would also look at other people’s relationships and wonder why I couldn’t find love and be happy like them. For a while I let these things consume me and I began to focus more on my outer appearance thinking that was going to make me feel better and forgetting about what God instilled in me that made unique. Realizing and remembering your individuality is probably one of the first steps to really loving yourself. I mean just think about it. There is no one else in this entire universe that was made like you and that’s absolutely incredible – you should naturally be able to love yourself simply because you were uniquely created.
With that being said, it’s important that we don’t get too caught up in the materialistic things (especially us women). I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try to look nice or there’s something wrong with being into designer clothes because there’s not! I’m saying be cute, but don’t forget to love yourself through it all. Stop thinking that dressing nice is what’s going to change your relationship status from single to taken because a relationship that is built to last is going to have to be built on more than just looks. Love yourself so that someone else can easily love you and be confident because ultimately that’s what is going to catch the attention of a REAL man.
Don’t rely on someone else to remind you that you are beautiful. Know that you are beautiful and no other person can come close to duplicating you. So next time you get ready to leave your house, look in the mirror and know that you are “fly” because you know to First Love Yourself.
HCXO!