Self Love

Hello there you beautiful beings of the blog-o-sphere!

Do you have a lack of self love? Do you have a sense of low self worth? Do you think you are less deserving of treats and luxuries than others around you? Today I am going to be open and share my thoughts on the topic of self love, and provide a few examples of how we can improve on these things :)

I must admit, I find it unusually difficult to apply the simple act of kindness to myself. When it comes to others I can compliment and smile and be kind, and I can see their sense of worth and notice all of their good traits. However, when it comes to myself, it is so much easier for me to think that I am worthless and to feel defeated about things and to feel undeserving, rather than to place my hands over my heart and tell myself that I am worthy and good enough just like everyone else. I am a self loather far more than a self lover but I refuse to continue to give my life away to a few negative voices in my head that have never f***ing done me any good Those negative thoughts that make me believe I’m a piece of sh**t are not going to stay with me forever. Not if I can change things. Now of course it isn't easy, of course it's going to be difficult, but I am determined to start to really love myself and be open to all of the possibilities that life has to offer. As Coco Chanel said, "Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself". 

Self love starts by making a decision every single day to choose to focus on the positive over the negative. Many people find their thinking pattern is 'black or white' and they hop between the two extremes of all or nothing, either being completely happy or utterly sad. Over time it is possible to 'train' your mind to gravitate more towards self love rather than self-hatred- I have done it before and I will do it again. You can begin to do so by actively rejecting self-hatred and negative thinking and consciously start practising self-love and outwardly saying positive affirmations out loud. There are plenty of people in the world who will be quick to criticise, so be your own protector and your own best friend and start being kind and gentle with yourself. Treat yourself as you would a friend or family member that was going through a hard time, what would you tell them to make them feel better? Now tell those things to yourself! As Brett Campbell said, "Confidence does not come from being liked or loved. It comes from your ability to like and love yourself". So stop being so harsh and judgmental towards yourself and start learning to accept your imperfections and flaws. We’re all flawed and broken in some way and we all make bad mistakes. Start enjoying and embracing who you are, and being comfortable with being alone with yourself. Embrace solitude, and the chance to be yourself. Remind yourself of all the different things in life that you are grateful for and the people who love you and see the good in you. As you do that, you will start to value your life and the people that surround you and will appreciate all of the little things that make you who you are. 

Here is a music video on loving yourself by Hailee Steinfeld which I have been enjoying recently:

I wish you the best of luck in everything that you do!

Thanks for reading!

- Olivia Charlotte Alice

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