I Love You.

To Love Yourself, Truly.

Everyone says love yourself.

But what does that mean?

Do I not already love myself?

Do I not already have confidence?

It’s easy to question it.

Easy to dismiss the idea as absurd.

But look closer…

not with judgment,

but with clear, childlike eyes.

Look at yourself

the way you’d look at a small child.

Give yourself grace.

Notice the silly things you like to quote.

The little tunes you hum without thinking.

The way your smile comes crooked

or your laugh bursts out too loud.

The way you get upset,

and you make that stupid face.

That’s beautiful.

Don’t be cruel to yourself

just because those things are yours.

You’ve judged them so harshly

when they were always light.

So wrap your arms around that child.

Tell them:

It’s okay.

You are loved.

You are beautiful.

A light. A moment. A rarity in the universe.

The stars aligned to make your existence.

And when you find yourself,

when you love yourself that way—

you can love others too.

You’ll look upon them

with a heart that’s been healed.

Hand in hand with your inner child,

you’ll say:

I see your flaws.

I know your pain.

And still—I love you.

You are beautiful.

And in loving their pain,

you’ll stop needing to judge it.

You’ll stop needing to judge your own.