Is it OK to love myself?
A while ago I was listening to a podcast on the enneagram where a listener asked where in the Bible it says we should love ourselves. In the Old and New Testament there are instructions to love others as you love yourself. This made me think about loving myself as I love others.
You Are A Work Of Art
I have a friend who refuses to look at her gorgeous face in the mirror. To me, she is perfect. I was fortunate enough to take beautiful portraits of her and she loved them enough to make it part of her art wall. When I mentioned that she sees herself as art she was taken aback, and said, pensively, “I haven’t thought of it that way.”
Stop Comparing Yourself
Recently I read about an octogenarian actress who started her magazine interview with the words, “I hate my body.”
Another friend’s daughter, a warrior of a girl, sobbed the other day about her lack of beauty. She is breathtaking.
It makes me sad. Sad that old women hate themselves, because they must have hated themselves when they were younger as well. Shattered that young beauties loath themselves, because what a road they have to travel.
We need to stop this constant comparison. We are the gate keepers for the generation to come.
I matter. I am wanted. I belong.
I am a fat woman. You can call it curvy, you can try and placate me by saying I am beautiful inside and out. Yes, I am. And yes I am fat. And yes, I scrub up well. But, I am just as self conscious of myself in front of a camera. I am aware of my size when I go somewhere and I do not want to inconvenience someone. I have enough insight to say, “Stuff it. I matter. I am wanted, I am valued and I belong just as much as others.” And yes, there is more to me than what is outside. But I have an outside, and in a world where outside matters oh so much, I wonder if mirrors should be banned?
Or not?
Maybe a mirror should become your audience, where you tell yourself, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I was known before I was knitted together in my mother’s womb. I am beautiful. I am Divinely loved, and therefor I can love myself. I love others and so I have to love myself.”
I do not hate my body.
I do not hate my body. She has been my constant companion since the day of my conception. She fell in love, loved passionately, married, fell pregnant, changed often, bore children, fed the children. She gives joy, and pleasure and comfort. My body is part of me, and I treasure her, because without her I am…gone.
Yes, I love me. I am born from Love, and therefor I can become love for myself and for others. Shine queens! Shine, if you don’t do it, no one will do it on your behalf.