Self-love or Self-care First?

by Sally on July 24, 2019 in the category: body image, psychology

I see self-love and self-care as being equally important sides of the same coin. One without the other represents an incomplete cycle of acceptance, in my opinion.

Learning to love and accept and respect yourself is a highly personal process, and I’m sure that there are as many paths to self-love as there are people following them. Learning to care for and nourish and celebrate yourself is also a highly personal process, and countless actions and philosophies can lead us to cultivate those behaviors, too. No method is more correct or effective than any other, of course, but I’ve been thinking recently about how someone who is still mired in self-loathing might get started extracting herself from the mire. And it seems to me that there are two main ways to approach such a journey, and that they are, essentially, opposites: read more

Originally posted 2011-06-13 06:39:44.

Self-respect and Dressing with Care

by Sally on July 21, 2019 in the category: body image, style

If you wish to earn the respect of others, your best bet is to broadcast respect for yourself. After all, it’s harder for other people to admire, trust, and esteem you if you don’t feel confident in your abilities, proud of your accomplishments, and capable of handling life’s surprises. Since feeling respected by others builds self-confidence, and appearing confident garners respect, all you’ve got to do is kick start the process and it’ll just keep feeding itself. read more

Originally posted 2011-06-02 06:25:57.

A Pass

by Sally on July 15, 2019 in the category: body image

Since you are, no doubt, your own harshest critic.

Since you often look at yourself and see a mass of flaws.

Since your body-centric frustrations seem impossible to shake off.

Since constant self-loathing can exhaust you into depression.

Since permission can be key to unlocking self-acceptance and forgiveness.

Since you are so much more glorious than you realize and so much more worthy than you know, I am giving you a pass.

Today, whenever you look at your thighs and wish they were smaller, look at your wrinkles and wish they were gone, look at your reflection and wish it was different, I want you to think of me. Think of me saying, “YOU! You’re amazing. You are a stunning, luminous creature of beauty and there is no one else like you in this big, beauty-filled world. I see exactly how gorgeous you are, and I celebrate you.” read more

Originally posted 2011-05-26 06:17:06.