When we are having a bad day and feel insecure about ourselves, which let’s face it, happens more often when we think, we hear people trying to offer advice such as, “just love yourself, you are enough.” But, it can be so painfully difficult to do so because we might not even understand what self love really is. We rarely have a moment in our lives where we just wake up and understand what this is in its entirety. Instead, self love is growing and ever changing. Every experience and moment we encounter contributes to how you feel about yourself.

Many can relate to the feeling of ignorance when we were younger. When I was younger I remember feeling like a princess who was able to conquer anything. But after growing up, being exposed to media and meeting new people with polarizing opinions, it became harder and harder for me to love myself as much as I used to. I started listening to that little voice in my head that said I was not good enough or not smart enough to go anywhere. The sad truth is that most teenagers can relate to this because sometimes the pressure to look like other people we see on social media, or even our peers is a daily occurence. However, I truly believe this is the best way to achieve self love because once you count your blessings and reflect on your life, you start to love life even more and as a result, love yourself more.

My realization of self appreciation is not a clear cut, jaw dropping story because in reality, I am still on the journey to self love. For anyone that is struggling to love themself, just know that you are not alone, it is very normal to feel this way but you shouldn’t encourage this emotion. I recommend trying new things in order to help build confidence. Confidence and self love go hand in hand because once you are confident about yourself, you will build a better relationship with yourself.