I have literally never said, “I love myself.” I like me. I’m pretty cool, I guess. I think I’m pretty funny. I think my friends like me. But wow, it is so hard to say these three simple words: “I love ME.”
It is so easy to nit pick my flaws, but so much harder to identify my strengths. I tell my baby girl every day how smart she is, how strong she is, how kind she is. But can I say the same things about myself?
So this Valentine’s Day, I vow to work harder to really love myself. Because if I can lead my child by example, if I can work on my own daily affirmations while announcing my daughter’s strengths, we will both thrive together. I loved the book The Help for so many reasons. But when Aibileen affirms Mae Mobley each morning with, “You is kind, You is Smart, You is Important,” it brings tears to my eyes. As women, we need to know our worth. Stronger women make better wives, better mothers, and better friends.
In order to love yourself, it is important to take care of yourself. Not just eating right and exercising, but finding time to really relax and do things you love. I love to get pedicures by myself. I get to lay back and relax while someone rubs my feet while I sip wine and read a book. I’ve made a promise to myself to get monthly pedicures. I have also made a commitment to drinking more water and taking 30 days off alcohol just to give my body a little boost. Nothing too drastic, just something I can commit to for a short time. I’m excited to see how I feel about loving myself at the end of this month.
