Whenever I used to hear the words “self-love” part of me used to cringe. You see, I was lead to believe that if I liked the way I looked, made myself look pretty by putting make-up on and dressing nicely – that I was vein and boastful. For years, this is what I believed; that I couldn’t love who I was, I couldn’t love the way I looked or felt. Instead, I was lead to believe that I wasn’t pretty enough, I was too thin, I wasn’t popular enough which I believed was my own fault. This I learnt as a small primary school child. These are the lies that our children believe and it’s time to stop! It’s time to teach our children – our daughters to love who they are and how they look and that they are perfect just the way they are. The question is, how do you expect to teach your children something that you don’t believe about yourself?
Self-Love is a gift. You are beautiful, you are perfect just the way you are and you are good enough for this World. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. When you look in the mirror, do you see your flaws or do you see the Daughter of a King! God doesn’t make mistakes and He wasn’t about to start when He made you. You are made in Gods very own image.
Taking care of yourself and putting effort into the way you feel and look doesn’t mean that you are boastful or vein – it means that you know your worth; that you aren’t going to let the World dictate who you are; and that you are not ashamed to BE YOURSELF.
As a woman it’s so easy for us to get caught up in the busyness of life and to just keep on going. We often have our hands in a million things at the same time therefore often neglecting ourselves or putting ourselves last.
You need to invest in yourself and fill yourself up so that you will have the capacity to serve and give of your best as a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a colleague and a businesswoman. From a full cup you can begin to overflow and pour into those around you. From my own experience, you need to also get into a mind space that allows you to be 100% comfortable in your own skin and to be true to who you are and who God created you to be.
It’s so important to know that:
- It’s okay to ask for help
- It’s okay to take a rest
- It’s okay to ask someone to watch the kids today.
- It’s okay to take time for yourself.
Over the next two weeks we will embark on a journey with you to focus on self-love. We challenge you to join us and take time to focus on you and your needs.
A special verse that helps me through those extra hard days is
Psalms 46.5 “God is within her, she will not fail; God will help her at break of day.”
Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup so the next steps we take be steps of self-love.
