There was something about her that made everyone – including me – stare, transfixed as she walked by. Some would say she was overweight while some would go as far as calling her hopelessly obese. She seemingly did not care.
And then it dawned on me! She oozed self-confidence as she held her head high and walked. Comfortable in her skin, she glowed more than a model on the runway. I could only imagine the effect she would have on the menfolk as she was the definition of carriage and charisma wrapped in a bow of self-love.
A lot of us have concerns about parts of our body that visibly make us cringe when we look in the mirror, some self-imposed while others are externally gotten. Only a few have mastered the art of selectively listening and zoning out the negative comments made about their body so that it doesn’t get to them.
For most, every negative remark feels like a knife cutting deeper and deeper. The sad truth is body-shamers are a given in life no matter who you are. You alone can give others the power to hurt you with their opinions and careless remarks.
Have we lost love for ourselves, or given too much of ourselves to others that there seems to be no love left for us?
Have a love affair with yourself. For Pete’s sake, there is no other person in this world like you. You deserve to be loved by the most important person that means so much – you.
Self-love is an action that comes through practicing and exhibiting behaviors that increase your appreciation of you. And this means putting yourself first sometimes. I’m not talking about outright selfishness, but your needs do matter. If it does not do you good in the short or long run, then it isn’t worth doing. Look in the mirror and admire yourself, all parts inclusive!
Set boundaries. You will love yourself better when you set limits or say an emphatic “no” to work or activities that harm you physically, emotionally, spiritually, or poorly portray who you are. For instance, I limit my association with people who are always quick to point out the flaws and imperfections of others.
How can you love yourself if you constantly hear the worst definition of yourself announced or joked about? Protect yourself and stay around people who bring out the best in you, not those who take away the proud feeling you should have when you look in the mirror.
One of the biggest struggles in life is embracing and accepting ourselves with all our flaws and imperfections. It is virtually impossible to escape the portrayals of “perfect body” in today’s world. Repeatedly, every form of media shoves this in our faces, and the only way out is to don the permanent garment of self-love.
Perhaps you may say, “My body is never fit enough. I remain insecure about some parts”. Self-love says, “Well, I am 100% happy with my body while having a healthy desire to improve continuously”.
I never saw the lady I talked about at the beginning of this post again, but she gave me something to think about – holding your head high and loving yourself no matter your so-called flaws.
I’ll end with this question: Do you love yourself enough?
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Love,
Diane
