The Only Reason to Love Yourself Now

I started this post out as 25 reasons to love yourself now. I sat down, numbered a list, closed my eyes, and came up with 25 reasons. They looked like this:

1. You are unique.

2. No one has the same perspective as you.

3. You bring your family and friends joy.

4. You are a million in one to the world but one in a million to those who love you.

5. You are enough.

See the trend here? Each one of the above reasons is the same reason. You should love yourself right where you are in your life because there is no one else like you. In a world with seemingly endless people, you are the best version of you.

Yes, this is a blog about weight loss. It is a blog about lifestyle changes and improving yourself. That is still the same, much in the same way that as your body shrinks and your food habits change, you won’t lose your personality or your uniqueness.

You are your best version of you right now because of this uniqueness and because of what you offer to everyone around you. I want you to stop and think about all the people in your corner. All the friends who love your wit or your sauciness or your quiet thoughtfulness. Your family who makes a point to call to wish you happy birthday or who celebrates every victory. Your kids who see you walk through the front door and dance in excitement or the teenager who hasn’t said anything but who chooses to sit next to you on the couch and text instead of in her room, behind a closed door. Your coworkers who bring a fruit tray instead of a cake to a party because they know how much it matters. We don’t all have all these things and scenarios in our lives, but we have at least one. Use your minute to recall these happy moments and think about how these people are here in your life because you, as you are now, bring them joy.

Let yourself feel this joy too. For so many years, we have been taught that not only should our needs be last as women and as mothers, but also that we are not enough. Guess what, jerks? We are more than enough. This is what we must teach ourselves. Embrace your unique qualities. You know what you are good at and what to do to make those most important to you smile. Do that. See how good it feels? See how you forget about your pant size or that your neighbor looks “better” in her yoga pants than you do? Give yourself that. Once you are happier with yourself, putting effort into making yourself into the version of you that you are striving for will be like a nice Sunday stroll. Well, there will be some parts of the path strewn with goose dropping and cracked sidewalks, but the Sunday stroll feeling will be there more often and will keep you on track.

Love Yourself. You deserve it. You are Enough.