When we hear a friend talking negatively about herself, we get angry that she could possibly believe that she isn’t worthy, right? But when we do the same to ourselves, we believe our harsh words are accurate. We struggle to be gentle with ourselves and we’re often our worst critics.
Self-love is a process that I’m not convinced we’ll ever be done with. We’ll always be working on loving ourselves more, caring for ourselves and showing up for ourselves in a way that proves to the deepest parts of ourselves that we are enough.
Here are some beautiful words to fill you with so much truth that you’ll have no choice but to feel like you’re amazing as you are.
“It doesn’t matter who you used to be; what matters is who you decide to be today. You are not your mistakes. You are not your mishaps. You are not your past. You are not your wounds. You can decide differently today and at every moment. Remember that. You are offered a new opportunity with each breath to think, choose, decide and act differently in a way that supports you in being all that you are capable of being. You are not less than. You are enough.”
“it was when i stopped searching for home within others
and lifted the foundations of home within myself
i found there were no roots more intimate
than those between a mind and body
that have decided to be whole”
–rupi kaur
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision, so write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”
“So, do it. Decide. Is this the life you want to live? Is this the person you want to love? Is this the best you can be? Can you be stronger? Kinder? More compassionate? Decide. Breathe in. Breathe out and decide.” –Meredith Grey
“It’s a beautiful thing to have lungs that allow you to breathe air and legs that allow you to climb mountains, and it’s a shame that sometimes we don’t realize that that’s enough.”
“A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. When you wake up, take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and healthy. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start to feel like one. Time spent appreciating is time worth loving.”
“Life can be the sunshine,
On peaceful days with bright blue skies,
Or life can be the raindrops,
That fall like tears squeezed from your eyes,
Life can be the heaven,
That you’ll only reach through hell,
Since you won’t know that you’re happy,
If you’ve not been sad as well,
Life can teach hard lessons,
But you’ll be wiser once you know,
That even roses need both sunshine,
And a touch of rain to grow.”
“You have this one life. How do you wanna spend it? Apologizing? Regretting? Questioning? Hating yourself? Dieting? Running after people who don’t see you? Be brave. Believe in yourself. Do what feels good. Take risks. You have this one life. Make yourself proud.”
“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits–anything that kept me small. My judgement called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.”
“Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself – what you’re wearing, who you’re around, what you’re doing. Recreate and repeat.” –Warsan Shire
“Even if you go for it and it doesn’t work out, you still win. You still had the guts enough to head straight into something that frightened you. That type of bravery will take you places.” –The Better Man Project
“Self-love is an ocean
and your heart is a vessel. Make it full,
and any excess will spill over
into the lives of the people
you hold dear. But you must come first.”
–Beau Taplin
“Self-love, self-respect, self-worth… there is a reason they all start with “self.” You can’t find them in anyone else.”
“No human being can serve you the peace you have to acquire on your own. People get so caught up in validation they forget they breathe alone.”
“Learn to let vulnerability inspire you and not frighten you. What makes you vulnerable is what makes you human and I think that is a pretty damn beautiful thing.”
“Dear self: It’s a shame how hard you are on yourself. You treat others with more love than you treat you. You deserve to be celebrated too.”
“sweetheart
marry your goals
remain committed to success
be loyal to your dreams
it’s okay to choose yourself”
–r.h. Sin
“Wake up early. Drink coffee. Work hard. Be ambitious. Keep your priorities straight, your mind right and your head up. Do well, live well and dress really well. Do what you love, love what you do. It is time to start living.”
“How to become a storm: Love yourself so much that you laugh with pity in the face of anyone who tries to throw cruelty and negativity in your face.
How to start a wildfire: encourage other women with the hearts of lionesses like yours to do the same.” –Nikita Gill, Disaster Training
“Happiness is not a checklist. A dream job, a fast car, a good home, even love, mean nothing at all if you have not yet found a way to feel full and content in your own mind and heart.” –Beau Taplin
“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, or makes you happy.” –Robert Tew
“You are loved. Massively. Ferociously. Unconditionally. The Universe is totally freaking out about how awesome you are. It’s got you wrapped in a warm gorilla hug of adoration. It wants to give you everything you desire. It wants you to be happy. It wants you to see what it sees in you.” –Jen Sincero, You Are A Badass
“Scare the world: Be exactly who you say you are and tell the truth.” –Iain Cain Thomas
“This world is not made of shades of grey. It is made of colors like azure and coral and emerald and marigold. But it insists on painting everything in black and white and fitting it into boxes that it understands. Do not do that to yourself. Paint your personality a million different colors. Leave them scratching their heads, unsure of how to handle the magic that you are.” –Nikita Gill
