The Truth About Practicing Self-Love

People always throw words around like “practice self love” as if that makes sense at all. 

How do you actually *practice* loving yourself? 

For me it all started with self care. Just being intentional with doing more things that made me feel more confident or joyful. Or taking moments without guilt for myself. Like, it’s really ok to have a bubble bath while your kids chill with Netflix. Even if the dishwasher is full. Even if there’s laundry to be folded. You are still a you. And you need to pour from a full cup, not an empty one. 

But there’s more to practicing than that. And this one made me feel like the most ridiculous human ever, but I can stand here *confidently* and tell you, yeah ok – it works. 

You need to start talking to your reflection. 

And you’ll feel weird and silly and it’ll be a little contrived. 

But just say it. 

Tell yourself that your dimples are beautiful.

Compliment the stretch marks and how they shimmer. 

Thank your skin. 

Bless your curves. 

Love your bitty boobs or your saggy baggys. 

Just talk to yourself as if you might actually believe it all to be true. 

Because eventually, you might start to buy what you’ve been selling. 

I know this because I hid my butt and hated looking at it more than anything. I would walk backwards out of a room before I’d let anyone see. I’d always have a towel or sarong ready by the poolside before exiting. Avoiding any chance of being seen. 

And now I’m posting pics of it on the WORLD WIDE WEB for all to stare at.

So yeah, I think the practice worked!

I think taking care of myself made me feel more worth care. 

I think filling my feed with #realstagram made me feel less alone and more normalized for you know, having a human body that does natural things. 

Practice, have patience, speak kindly to yourself and like your butt ️ Simple dimples, my friend. Simple dimples. (New saying, pass it along)