Today is a tough one, but I am grateful for self-love.
I am in no way a master at it, in fact I am honestly just starting out. It took me a long time to get myself just to like myself, which I mistook as loving myself. I didn't, or I wouldn't have been so unkind to myself. I practiced self-care, but I was leaving the major component of love out of the process. Self-love can only come from within and is only attainable when we speak, act, and treat ourselves with kindness. To look at ourselves in the mirror and accept and love our bodies as they are, not wishing they were something else. To speak to and about ourselves with the loving kindness that we treat a good friend, and to cheer and encourage ourselves on in our victories and in our defeats, to know that we are enough, not just for others, but most importantly for ourselves. To act with love to ourselves in all situations and know that we are brave, strong, and resilient. Self-love is having faith in ourselves, having the power to forgive ourselves, and having the ability to recognize that the relationship that we have with everyone else is incomplete if we don't first start within our own body, mind, and soul. We need to accept who we are, as we are, and love ourselves completely, flaws and all.
Because when you love yourself, everything changes. Those negative patterns and thoughts start to lift, bad days don't seem so bad because you can count on yourself to get through them, and your insecurities start to melt away.
Love yourself the way you love your friends, your children, and/or your family. Date yourself, compliment yourself, encourage yourself, spend time alone with yourself and really enjoy every second of it, and watch yourself transform with your own magic. You don't need anyone else, you've got yourself. Everyone outside of that is a bonus in your life. Everyone needs time to themselves away from their routine, kids, boyfriends/husbands, girlfriends/wives, family, work, etc. Go take some time to be you and love you. Put your phone down, clear your schedule for the day, and be unapologetically lovin' on you wherever you decide to go and whatever you decide to do. Call them "heart" breaks if you want!
p.s. I heard this song for the first time yesterday and fell in love with it. It was just the message I needed to get on my own self-loving!
What ways do you love yourself? What are you grateful for?