An important aspect of self-love is being true to yourself. Sometimes we can take on the identity of other people and their wants for our lives. It has negative repercussions on how we see ourselves. The way that we see ourselves is often how we treat ourselves. I am learning that if you can be okay with who you are and who you were created to be, there is so much joy and peace. A question that I have had to ask myself repeatedly on my journey is who am I living for? Which leads to the question, who am I?
I am a people pleaser working on boundaries. When I look at my life in regards to the question, who am I living for? I realize that I was living for everyone else in my life except myself. I was living for my mom, birth mom, dad, grandma, friends, family, etc. I spent so much time denying myself that I hated myself. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. I didn’t want to take care of myself. I learned that the more I live for other people, the more depression symptoms I experienced. This is a hard truth for me to confront because it left me feeling empty but made me aware that I was miserable. It is still something I am working on, but I believe that awareness is the first step in the right direction.
It wasn’t until recently I saw and experienced the freedom of being who I am and was created to be. I started showing up for myself because the decisions I was making were not based on other people. It allowed me to see myself differently. Which led to taking care of myself and doing the things I am interested in regularly. Learning to be authentic is a work and progress. It has and is helping me love who I am.
Now, ask yourself, who are you living for, and be honest with yourself? The question has helped me, and I hope it helps you.
Reviving Life's Journey 