On taking care of yourself.

I've been working a lot on loving myself and I can't believe the changes it has made in my life. I am happier and kinder and I don't care about what others think of me, that was just too exhausting. I compare myself to others so much less and I smile more. I gossip less; I used to build myself up by tearing others down but now... I just like myself! Not in a cocky, 'I'm the coolest person ever' way, just confidence and self esteem! In my research (internet and self-help books) I found a lot of information about taking care of yourself without feeling guilty. It's really interesting to me because whenever I sit down to read or watch a movie, I start feeling guilty, like there are so many other things that I could be doing. Christine Arylo wrote something that I really like:

"Why do we exhaust ourselves, accept overwhelm as normal, and wear busyness like a badge of honor? Think about it. We congratulate each other for multi-tasking, collude around about how busy we are, and we all drive ourselves towards some mythical state of balance that none of us seem to attain. "

Why do I do this? I seriously think I'm cooler than people if I'm busier than them! It's ridiculous. I have to remember that in order to accomplish the important things, I need to take time for myself to replenish and retain my energy.

Another thing about liking who you are: every person in this world yearns for one thing above all others, to be deeply loved. I think this is one reason so many girls think they will be happy for the rest of their lives as soon as they have a boyfriends or get married. Here's the thing people, if you don't like yourself, it's a lot harder for others to love you. and, "the love that you seek starts and ends with the love you have for yourself" (Christine Arylo)

I doubt this applies to anyone that reads this blog but if you feel depressed, sad or lonely, every night try to write down 10 things that you love about you! Qualities, quirks, talents, or just things that you are proud of. It'll make you feel better and when you like the person you are becoming, nothing else really matters.