Love Who You Are

Do you ever feel like you don't measure up when you see a picture of a model in a magazine or on a billboard? Have you ever envied your best friend because he/she looks great in whatever they wear? Do you get jealous when you witness the amazing talents of someone you know? Well, this is your invitation to stop downplaying yourself and love who you are!

Allowing destructive thoughts in your head is damaging to your self-esteem. Stop saying, "I will never look like that model." Remember that photoshop is ALWAYS used in the media ~ even on the models you think look perfect. Stop saying, "My friend always looks so much better than I do." It's very possible that your friend is having the same thoughts about you. Stop thinking, "Why can't I be that talented?" You have talents that others might envy. Stop the paralyzing thoughts. That is how the world wants us to think.

When we let these destructive thoughts take over, we start thinking something is wrong with us. We begin looking for a cure-all or a self-help gadget that will change our life. We might spend money expecting outrageous results, only to find we've wasted our money. We start to doubt ourselves, our abilities, and our talents. We end up with feelings of anxiety, jealousy, and hatred towards ourselves or others.

So, how do we stop these paralyzing and destructive thoughts? When these feelings start creeping in, stamp them out by thinking of or writing down three things you like about yourself. It might sound silly, but give it a try. You will soon find that you have more to offer, more in your favor, and more talents or qualities than you realize. It's not boasting or bragging. It's learning to love who you are. It's learning to accept who you are. To love another, you must first love yourself.

The next time you look in the mirror, instead of picking out flaws in your figure, focus on features you always get complimented on. Find a way to accentuate the positive. If it's the color of your eyes, wear a shirt that will make your eyes pop. If it's your smile, make sure you floss before you leave the house so others notice. If it's your feet, wear a great pair of sandals that will draw attention to them.

Now that the positive features are accentuated, focus on the things we can all do every day to feel better mentally and physically. Start your morning or end your day with a walk or strengthening exercises. Replace your daily drink of choice with water. Instead of a piece of cake for dessert, try fruit and yogurt. When you're healthy on the inside, you'll feel better all over.

So, now that you have accentuated your positive features and worked on maintaining your mental and physical well-being, there's one more thing: remember that you are great! You don't have to look like someone else, or act like someone else, or emulate someone else's talents to stand out. Every person is different for a reason. What a boring world this would be if we all looked the same or had the same talents. There would be no room for progression. And that's what we are here to do ~ to progress. We learn from each other because of our different talents.

Hold your head high today and love who you are. Know that you don't have to look like a model to look good. Compliment your friend on how wonderful you think he/she is or looks; you might just get a compliment in return. Embrace your own talents as you enjoy someone else's. As you learn to accept who you are, and learn to love who you are, it will be easier to love and learn from those around you.

Love Yourself