Love Yourself!

Ahoi hoi cyberfriends,

Below you'll find a copy of my article from last week's Island Voice. The Island Voice is one of our local papers here in the Marshall Islands, and I have a weekly health column with them.

How Much Do You Love You?


How many times have you looked in the mirror and wondered how you got so chubby? Or maybe you took a look at your hair and wondered why it was so thin? Perhaps it was your height that made you wish for a little more? Maybe even the color of your eyes puts you off sometimes? We all have moments when we wish we were a little more x or a little less y. It’s human, to be expected even. We have hundreds of books and magazines out there helping us with these problems. They show us how to put on make-up so the wrinkles disappear, what jeans to buy to make our butts look great, and what drinks to drink to pump the muscles up. And we do it, and sometimes it works much to our great delight. Other times it doesn’t, and we move on to the next magic pill to see what it will bring us. When I was an angsty teenager, the last thing I wanted to do was look at myself. I’d pass the mirror with eyes downcast just to avoid that person on the other side. When I did look, it was to add more eyeliner, or to see if my hair really did look better fire engine red. I wish I could say that as I got older the mirror became a friend, but I’m pretty much still on a need to know basis with those bossy bits of glass. Don’t get me wrong, with time and less exposure to peppy high school girls with pompoms, I reached a level of comfort with myself. I happen to like me, most days. It is a difficult thing to sustain, though. However, it is a necessary thing. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that if you don’t like you, you can’t expect anyone else to. Many of us our searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right, but we haven’t taken the time to prepare ourselves for meeting them. We haven’t fallen in love with our bumps and bruises yet. Well, if you can’t find something good about your snoring, how do you expect to sell it to that awesome person you’re staring at across the room. Self-love starts at home. Here are a few things you can do to get your groove back with you:

1. Nothing Compares 2 U: Try going through an entire day without comparing yourself to anyone around you. Instead, see everyone (including yourself) as the unique individual that they are. This is not as easy as it sounds.

2. Face Time: Spend some time with you in the mirror. Now, this isn’t one of those look at yourself naked deals, unless that’s just how you roll. Instead, throw on your favorite outfit and check yourself out. Shower yourself in some compliments. This is an especially good one to do before work. You’ll walk out of the door with a hop in your step.

3. I ♥Me: Make a list of all of the things you like about YOU! Put it in a place where you can see it. When you’re feeling down about yourself, take a look at the list. It should be an instant pick me up.

I know we’ve all been told that vanity is a sin. And it is! Self love, however, is a different animal. Self love means the ability to see the good in yourself, to forgive yourself and move forward, and to accept you for who you are. If you can love you, then it is easier to love others. Now give yourself a big self-lovin’ hug. You deserve it!