A while back I wrote a blog post entitled Loving the Skin I’m in. This post talks all about my long time struggle with self-esteem and self-love because of my birthmark. Over the past few years, I’ve come to learn that self-love is a journey, not a destination. I can’t say that everyday I wake up feeling beautiful or completely loving what I see in the mirror. I thought that once I overcame that huge struggle I wouldn’t have to deal with self-love issues again. The truth is that there are days I still struggle, guys. No, I don’t still go to the same lengths I did when I wore body makeup or when I wore long sleeve shirts in the summer. I, however, do find myself from time having those days where I don’t love myself in the way I should.
Soon I learned that self-love is truly a journey and not a destination. I thought that I wouldn’t have days where I felt unpretty, unworthy and every other “un”. When I say a journey, I mean that it is a continual daily process that you have to go through, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You have to constantly practice self-love which includes self-care, positive affirmations, self-discipline and spiritual intentionality. Those moments when my self-love tank is low, I know it’s because I have not been pouring into myself in one of those ways. I think it’s so important for us as women to understand that while we may not feel great about ourselves everyday, we can do something everyday to feel better. To help you along your journey, I want to share with you…
5 Ways to Practice Self-love
- Seek God’s word daily, learn what He has to say about you and ask Him to help you see yourself as He sees you
- Engage in a self-care activity at least once a week (i.e. working out, reading, bubble bath, yoga)
- Affirm or compliment yourself everyday (find something you do love about yourself, write it down and post it where you can see it daily)
- Ditch the negative self-talk no matter how you feel
- Be patient and kind to yourself, the journey of self-love is not easy but it can get better everyday
Remember…
A journey is a process that consists of personal change and development. A destination is an end, a stopping place or a finale. Our love for self is always going to be challenged; we are going to be faced with difficulties that make it hard for us to love ourselves. Therefore, we have to look at self-love as a process and take it one day at a time. Sure, we’d all love to be at a point where we love everything about ourselves at all times, but that won’t happen in this lifetime – certainly in the life to come. But while we are here, we have to be kind to ourselves and remember that self-love is a journey, not a destination.
I’d love to hear about your self-love journey and what you’ve learned along the way. Share with me in the comments!
Live well,
Love Pinterest like I do? Do me a favor and share my pin below! Thank you ๐
