Falling In Love With the Person In the Mirror

In lieu of Valentine's Day

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On a day that is dedicated to love, today’s newsletter is not about romantic relationships with others but instead the relationship we have with ourselves. It’s about the ways in which we choose to love ourselves and how small steps can make leaps and bounds to help us achieve our greatest potential.

One of my all-time favorite movies (and books) Eat, Pray, Love is, simply put, about love. The movie begins with heartache, but what Elizabeth (the main character) finds at the end of it is the greatest gift of all. We are brought along her journey through multiple loving relationships — friendships, flings abroad and most importantly, the love she finds within herself. And that is because love, and life, are just that — a journey, not a destination.

So, what is self love and what does it mean? In Elizabeth’s case, it meant following her dream of traveling across the world and experiencing different places, people and foods to find herself. Whether big or small, we all need to find ways to pour into our own cup. This is something I am actively seeking, praying for and working towards. Whether that means spending more time in prayer, learning to love my alone time, or superficially, embracing the designer bags under my eyes; it’s the little things that count. They are the simple, small steps that are apart of a much bigger, brighter purpose in our lives to help us blossom into the dream version of ourselves.

Cue the hit single Special by Lizzo featuring Sza, which takes a much needed positive spin on Sza’s song Special from her album SOS. In the chorus, Lizzo sings “In case nobody told you today, you’re special. In case nobody made you believe, you’re special.” Learn to love who you are; look at your weaknesses like super powers and embrace what sets you apart from others around you.

No one has reached maximum self love potential, and if you feel like you have then kudos to you. Meanwhile, the rest of us will carry along on our individual Eat, Pray, Love journeys to self discovery and learn to fall in love with the person we see in the mirror.

Did anything in this newsletter speak to you? Leave a comment below and let me know. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!