In a world where we constantly allow other people to determine our worth, self-love is my way of reminding myself that I’m not just a drop in the ocean. I am the entire entire ocean in a drop.
Celebrating myself by doing things that make me happy- lifting weights and designing clothes- makes it so that I don’t need anyone else’s approval to justify the crown I wear.
Self-love means that I acknowledge and accept that I am a work in progress but it also means enjoying my own company. In the past, I would jump from distraction to distraction to distract myself from a void inside. A void filled with jealousy and loneliness. By learning to be happy on my own, I prove to myself that I am all I need to be content.
Being self dependent for emotional fulfillment means that I will have the self respect to leave a situation if I feel that I’m being disrespected. Being self dependent for happiness means that I can take time off to be by myself and still be happy. It means I can spend the day by myself and grow on my own. I can join new activities and learn new skills. I can enjoy going to a restaurant by myself and being alone with my thoughts.
As I started to love myself more, being alone wasn’t something I was scared of anymore. I stopped jumping from distraction to distraction to keep myself busy. Self love to me means that I’m no longer “looking” or searching for relationships or friendships. My personal belief is that when things are meant to be, they will be. I can wait and see what my own life has in store for me instead of being anxious that I won’t have anyone or that I’ll be alone. I can manifest what I want in my life but I’m no longer desperate for it. Instead of settling for the bare minimum, I can work on myself until what I desire shows up in my life.
Author: Parsva Shah