Learning To Love Myself...Especially When Others Don't

When I was younger people would ask me if I was anorexic. Some thought I was "stuck-up". When I started putting on weight, I was called fat. The only way to describe ME, at that time, is unhappy.

I was unhappy and with that came lack of love for myself. I was shy and had low self-esteem. Being surrounded by male "friends" who constantly reminded me that everybody else thinks I'm ugly def didn't help. I traveled a path of self-loathing and bad relationships. Why would any stranger love me when my own family and closest "friends" didn't? It took me quite some time to get to this point, but here I am! I am EMBRACING, LOVING, APPRECIATING, ACCEPTING AND FORGIVING ME!

My advice to anyone who may feel the way I did is to ignore anyone and anything that attempts to define what beauty is to you. Never allow society, the media, your peers, or even family, to dictate what YOU believe is beautiful.

YOU are BEAUTIFUL because YOU say you are! I know it seems easier said than done, but a lot of people don't realize how important and helpful daily confirmations are.

Say it! Believe it! Own it!