Falling in love with myself didn’t happen overnight. It took me years to finally accept and appreciate the person reflected in the mirror, but once I did, I began to see a woman who’s fierce, strong, and capable. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever experienced.
- I didn’t like who I was before. Especially when I compared myself with gorgeous, successful women my age because I always found that I was lacking. I constantly beat myself up by magnifying my weaknesses and failures, so trying to accept myself became an uphill battle. However, one day, I finally had enough. I shifted my perspective and began to focus on my strengths, achievements, and goals. I stopped envying other people’s seemingly greener pastures and started watering my own.
- I cut myself some slack. I realized that life is very complex and I don’t need to have everything figured out—in fact, I probably never will, no matter how hard I try. I’m human and I make mistakes, lose focus, and that’s OK. I started to be kinder to myself and stopped overanalyzing the little things. I stopped being my own worst critic and it helped me achieve peace of mind.
- I got more comfortable in my own skin. The moment I knew I was falling in love with myself was when I looked in the mirror and liked the person reflected there. I didn’t feel like I needed to follow the latest trend or get the latest gadget just so other people would like me. I liked me and that was enough. With that mindset, I started to feel good. I liked the clothes I wore, I laughed, and I became so much kinder to other people as well.
- I don’t need a relationship to feel whole. I’m self-sustaining. When I fell in love with myself, I realized that I’m already whole. I now focus my attention on my own goals, interests, and desires. I no longer need a special someone to make me feel satisfied or complete. I’m happy and at peace in my own company. I no longer feel pressured into searching for love because I’m ready to let it happen when the timing is right.
- I’m comfortable in my own company. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I cut myself off from my family and friends, it just means that I’m capable of pursuing what I’m passionate about even on my own. I started exercising, drawing, writing, and meditating. The more time I spent in my own company, the less it became scary. I’m no longer afraid of being alone.
- I’m not afraid to speak my mind. I don’t second-guess myself anymore and I’m more confident in going after what I want. I started pursuing what sets my soul on fire and speaking up about the things I believe in. I’m no longer afraid to ask what I want or request help when I need it.
- I found courage I never knew I had. I still don’t have the urge to climb mountains because I’m still afraid of heights, but loving myself gave me the courage to say no to the things that don’t serve me. I no longer feel the need to make space for things and people that hinder my growth. I started valuing myself and so I started to make decisions that empower me instead of constraining me.
- I started living selfishly and it feels great. I put my happiness first and I stopped feeling guilty about it. I’ve come to realize who I am and what I deserve. When I fell in love with myself, I started learning what I needed and I pursued those things with a new-found freedom.
- I stopped caring about how society sees me. I no longer feel the need to fit into the mold that society made for me. I don’t focus on other people’s thoughts anymore as I’m more committed to myself. I stopped doing things just so other people will like me. When I started to recognize my own voice, I stopped caring about other people’s opinion of me. They don’t dictate how I live my life.
- I developed a thirst for life. When I fell in love with myself, I fell in love with life. I started to love the quiet moment of watching sunsets, appreciated the smell of coffee in the morning, and treated myself on dates. I’m in love with myself and because of that, I want to live the best possible life every day. This means choosing myself over unfulfilling relationships, toxic friendships, and damaging situations. I’m in control of my emotions and so I choose to be genuinely happy.
