Loving YOU

I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of loving yourself. Confidence. Being happy with who you are. I feel like this message needs to be shared (with myself even!)

We, sadly, live in a society that discourages love of oneself. We're surrounded by images of women with teensy bodies, dark tans, and flawless faces. We're surrounded by talk of the latest fad diet. We're bombarded with what's in & what isn't, what we should be doing, what we shouldn't be doing, and the constant struggle for perfection.

What we don't see is the real women before they are photoshopped. The cellulite, the bulge under their belly button, the zit on their chin. We don't ENJOY our food because we're either eating what the last diet book told us to or feeling guilty for not following our new meal plan. We're missing life NOW because we're so focused on what we feel we should be doing.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of all of this. I'm always reading a new diet book and trying to change my health habits. I have a love for fashion magazines and what's in & what isn't. And I think all of that is okay, to a certain extent. If it's being done for FUN, great. But at a certain point, it becomes an obsession that can really hurt us.

Does it matter whether or not we wear eyeliner? No. Does it matter if we decide to buy some floral pants because they're "in"? Nope. It doesn't even matter what SIZE said pants would be. Really. I'm telling you the honest truth right now. What matters is who we are and how we feel about ourselves. 

Confidence doesn't come from being a size 2. Confidence comes from learning to love you for YOU. I'm also a strong believer that confidence comes form loving others, and likewise, serving others. Getting outside of YOURSELF to recognize the needs of those around you, then acting on those needs.

So here's a list of truths I'm going to try to remember:

Stop feeling guilty when you eat ice cream (or french fries. Or bread, for that matter.) If you're going to eat it anyway, eat it. Enjoy it. Then move on.

Stop comparing yourself to "models." Rather, find the things about yourself that are "model-like" and remind yourself of those qualities daily. Do this NOW or you never will. **For me, it's my lips.** Now you don't have an excuse not to find something!

Serving others will bring self-confidence. So serve!

Be kind to yourself. Trust yourself. Treat YOURSELF the way you treat your friends, family, children--with respect, kindness, and love!