To love yourself or not to love yourself? Is that the question?

With the rise of trendy terms like self care and self love, it makes me wonder if it's just a fad or do others take it as seriously as I do.

When I started seeing these terms, I honestly felt a bit guilty. Why would someone be pushing me to love myself? I already love myself, duh. We all do right? 

As women, we tend to get a lot of mixed signals over whether or not we should be happy with ourselves. Whether or not we should love ourselves and give ourselves compliments. Whether or not we look too put together or not put together enough. Whether it's ok to walk out of the house without makeup or if we should look like we have our life together and put on a full face of makeup, because yes Karen, my life is completely together and I didn't just eat 6 peanut butter cups and didn't just wear the same outfit for 3 days and watch the Notebook on repeat, because YOLO. 

We're constantly being bombarded with misleading messages telling us how to feel about ourselves. You need to look perfect, JK embracing yourself is so in right now. 

Here's my take on this.

True love and true self acceptance, starts with you. Loving yourself and accepting yourself fully, doesn't come from a place of social media likes, comments, shares, whatever. That's literally giving away your power to the validation of strangers. 

The idealized, perfect version of yourself in your head, is an illusion. And it's something you will never obtain. Because YOU ARE ALREADY PERFECT. Yes, with every little thing you "perceive" as wrong with you. 

I have a challenge for you.

Next time you look in the mirror, and you think a negative thought about yourself - say "You are beautiful and I appreciate you. I promise to take care of you again." Release the bad ish from your life. And go take care of yourself again. You deserve so much better. And you deserve happiness in all aspects of your life. But it starts with lovin' all up on you first.

Because as much as the media wants to prey on women's insecurities, I think it's frankly, my dear, bullshit. 

Be kind to yourself. It's contagious.

xoxo,

Angelica