In our world today, so many people put themselves down and tell themselves they are not good enough. They don’t love themselves enough or at all. We continue to criticize ourselves and try to break our own confidence down. What we really need to do is step back and take the time to really appreciate our very existence. We need to be thankful for being who we are because in the end, whether we realize it or not, our lives are worth loving.
1. Don’t be afraid to splurge on yourself every once in a while. Yes, I understand that with an economy like today, many people cannot afford to. I’m not saying that you should invest a large amount of money; a simple treat to an ice cream cone will do. Let your body release the stress and tension. The last thing you want piled up is stress. By making small purchases, you are rewarding yourself for your work and it’s guaranteed to make you feel prouder and better about yourself.
2. Give yourself a little pat on the back. Tell yourself, “good job”. The best thing you can do for yourself mentally is self-encouragement. If there’s anyone out there you need support from, it’s you. Believe it or not, your thoughts and opinions of yourself are stronger than what anyone else in the world has to say. What you tell yourself is what you believe. And to be honest, many of us are very harsh on ourselves. It’s good to push yourself to work harder, but you should also take the time to give yourself compliments too. You deserve to take pride in what you’ve accomplished!
3. Forgive yourself. It’s one of the hardest things for us to do. We hold in past mistakes and use it as an excuse to hate ourselves more. It’s time to let that go. Only you can take away dark memories from your mind and replace them with brighter ones. If you continue to hold such mistakes against you, you won’t have any room in your heart to fill in with self-love. Those memories are dark for a reason; why waste space with something that only emotionally hurts you in the end?
4. Take the time to remind yourself that you are the best at being you. Before one of my best friends passed away, he used to tell me all the time, “You are the best at being you. No one could every replace that. And without you, this world would be a darker place.” This is all true for every single one of you. You were placed here with a purpose in this world. You are an original that can never be replaced. There isn’t a single person in this world that could come remotely close to who you are. Embrace your individuality; you are loved for being you. You should love yourself for the same reason too.
5. Look in the mirror. This seems like such an easy task, but many people can’t even look at themselves in the mirror and tell themselves that they’re beautiful or handsome. It’s heartbreaking to see what society has done to people: making them believe that stick-skinny, acne-free, and tall are the only type of beautiful. These types of people are beautiful indeed, but the definition of beauty is not just limited to that. Look in the mirror. You are part of that definition too. Are you smiling? Good, you deserve to.
Life can be very stressful for every single person at some point in their lives, but that doesn’t mean we should leave out time to love ourselves. Every single one of you deserves to live knowing that you are all special. So don’t ever tell yourself that you are anything less than important. Instead, make your life brighter. It all starts with showering yourself with love. Embrace yourself. Love yourself. And stay beautiful!!