“Do not let another day go by where your dedication to other people’s opinions is greater than your dedication to your own emotions! Journey through your day without attachment to the validation of others.”
– Dr. Steve Maraboli
The power of self-love and acceptance is stronger than any opposing force. It just has to be strengthened.
It is interesting to sit down and realize the impact that others have on our self-love journeys. Imagine waking up, looking in the mirror, and loving what you see – only to have that feeling shattered by one mere comment made by another?
How is it okay that we allow the outside world to determine how we view ourselves?
Why is it so hard to remove the smudge marks from our mirrors? We start life with a crystal-clear view of ourselves. We are able to see our individual beauty and valor. But as time passes, others begin to pick and probe at our flaws – resulting in fingerprints all over our mirror. We feel violated, sad, unworthy, and ashamed when we look at ourselves now.
We are unaware that a little self-care, a little self-reflection, and a little break from social media has the same ingredients as a bottle of Windex. The more we practice these things, the more potent the mixture will become and the shinier our mirror will be.
We can choose to let others depict how we see ourselves, or we can take our power back. We have that option, but struggle to unlock the strength buried deep within ourselves.
As women, we seek validation from men to measure our worthiness. We dress to their standards, do things we believe will attract them, and hate other women who seem as though they have a spell cast over the opposite sex.
If we took the time, however, to teach ourselves the power of self-acceptance we would be unstoppable. It just takes a few steps.
Steps to manifesting self-love and acceptance
Step 1: Remove envy from your heart
Envy is the root of all evil when it comes to insecurity. It blinds us from seeing our potential because our view is blocked by another.
It is like going to a concert and enjoying the show until someone taller stands in front of you and blocks the scene. You are unable to immerse yourself in the experience and are left feeling small and unsatisfied. Put a barrier in front of you that allows you to see the true beauty of yourself without any outside distraction.
Step 2: Bring others on your journey
There is no better way to improve your self-image than by helping others. Give daily compliments and remind your friends, loved ones, and even strangers how wonderful and worthy they are. It will brighten your aura and make your journey to loving yourself more fulfilling.
Step 3: Deep clean daily
Every good thing in life takes patience, time, and nourishment to become stronger. Although past words and comments may have left holes in your self-image we can slowly wipe them clean with daily self-love rituals.
Do things that make you smile, give yourself positive affirmations, and remove any toxicity that may blind you to your own beauty. Each day you will get stronger.
Your once filthy mirror will become smudge-free and no outside opinion will have the power to leave a single fingerprint.
Read also:
An Open Letter To The Self-Conscious Woman
Fuck Your Patriarchal Beauty Ideals, I Am Beautiful
It’s Time To Join The Self-Love Club
