Content Warnings: self-love, imposter syndrome, self-awareness
Dear friend,
There’s something that’s been on my mind for a while, and it’s the struggle of self-love. It’s interesting how effortless it is for us to give love to the people around us – our friends, family, and loved ones, but when it comes to ourselves, we almost feel like it’s undeserved. Maybe that’s because we know the worst things about ourselves, and so we’re our own worst critics. Whatever the reason may be, self-love isn’t an option – it’s a requirement. Until we master the art of self-love, we will find it hard to maintain healthy relationships with ourselves and the people around us.
We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. I always underestimated the power of this statement, and it’s only been until recently, that I’ve started to put my emotional needs first. If I’m not in the best place mentally, and one of my friends calls me to make plans, I’m honest with them about how I’m feeling. Maybe it’d be best to postpone our hangout for a later date. I used to feel pangs of guilt when I did this before, but now I’ve come to realize that my feelings matter, too. I don’t need to put up a front all the time, especially with the people close to me.
To the people reading this, I want you to know that whatever you are going through, you are loved. I know on days where you don’t feel the best, it may be easy to fall into the never-ending cycle of criticism and self-hate, but it’s important to take little steps to try and reverse this mentality. When you look at yourself in the mirror, instead of blurting out the worst thing you could think of, I want you to take a minute and say one thing you love about yourself. The more you do this, the more instinctual it will become. Remember, it’s all about baby steps.
Love,
A friend
