This is a guest post written by Kristen Parry. Kristen is a firm believer in Happiness and Love as the two prominent pillars of life. She finds joy in the details of each day and is excited to contribute a small piece to a movement she's supported since... literally... "Day One."
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Think about your most important relationship; who is it with? Maybe you just thought of your mom, sister, significant other, best friend, or even a hero? While those are all incredible answers, they’re not the real answer to the question I just asked. Your most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. That’s right. You are the most important person in your life. Embrace it.
Reflect on that relationship for a minute. How do you speak to yourself? How often do you look in the mirror and say I love you? Can you say that, without a shadow of a doubt, you love yourself as you are? Your relationship with yourself needs love and attention to thrive, just like any other. Self-love is the most foundational level of love, but it’s often overlooked.
Don’t be mistaken; self-love and self acceptance do not mean complacency. You can want to improve upon yourself, but it should come from a place of empowerment, not a need for another’s approval. Self-love can manifest as self-care or working toward goals that set your heart on fire, and it will ultimately build your confidence to create an abundance of love that you can use for yourself and those you love.
I challenge you to embrace and love yourself in the way you embrace and love whoever you originally thought of to answer my question. I challenge you to help those around you to love themselves well. I challenge you to stop yourself any time you have something negative to say about yourself, or hear someone else being negative toward themselves, and say “don’t talk about my friend like that.”
You deserve to enjoy every moment of your life. The best way to do that is to learn to love yourself as you are and embrace each day. You are worthy.