Good Day Loves, today is Monday, February 18th, the first day after the Valentine’s Day weekend. Hopefully everyone found a reason to celebrate and take in the meaning behind the holiday of love. This month however, I decided to team with @goodcurvy (follow them on instagram and facebook) to truly celebrate the meaning of Self-Love and really glorify International Self-Love Day (which is February 13th to be exact). Now presently, I am not single, but that doesn’t mean that I DO NOT FIND reasons to appreciate myself and what I am to this world. Teaming with GoodCurvy Challenged me to take 13 days out the month to celebrate me! Some of the tasks included; wearing your favorite perfume, getting a pedicure, cooking a nutritious meal to nourish your body, rub yourself down in coconut oil after a fresh shower, and many more small odes to self. It seems minor to some but it’s so essential to include small loving acts dedicated to yourself to maintain positive mental health.
Additionally, one of the most important aspects to a maintaining healthy relationships is to never lose sight of your worth. NO matter how much you love someone else, you can’t lose your identity trying to please or love anyone outside of you FIRST. I think sometimes as women we tend to do that or place ourselves on the back-burner in a self-less attempt to care for everyone we love. The issue that arises is burn-out and a complete drought within because you get in the habit of giving so much to others, you become deficient, and eventually have nothing left to give. In my opinion it is one of those situations that begin to trigger anxiety and depression in many women because those who are receiving hardly ever recognize that you are being depleted. Many on the receiving end think you are okay because you keep giving and being there.
Which results in a deadly cycle of feeling unloved, unappreciated, not valued, and taken advantage of as women. That’s why this months challenge to find 13 days to love yourself was so imperative to me to fully execute. I know myself. I know that I will run myself into the ground trying to reach goals, help others reach their goals, help family, be a listening ear to friends, help my boo, and everything else but find time to just be me without distraction. Everyone needs a day to themselves and if you can’t take a whole day, take a moment every day to just do something sweet and kind to you. Even if its nothing more than reiterating affirmations of greatness or simply taken a bath instead of a shower. Those small notions to honor thyself will make you feel good. That is what self-love is all about, doing things that make you feel good.
When you treat yourself great, you can treat those you love even better. You cannot treat anyone consistently better than you treat yourself. That is not love. That is not being loving. That is not being loyal. What those behavior patterns display is a toxic cycle of insecurities and lacking self-confidence and worth. NO matter who you want to love, you must affirm to love yourself more. Under God, there is you, before you were able to experience love you were created to be great. So Never Let that STOP. Every Valentine’s Day is your day. Whether you are married, engaged, involved, or single…..you have a right to celebrate you every single year!
With Love,
LoLo
