Love yourself.

If you are anything like I used to be, finding a reason to post a photo of yourself can be pretty scarce. I get the struggle of flipping through photo after photo and feeling discouraged on what you see. These inner demons live with us causing self-doubt and consciousness. The truth is, we have the ability to alter our state of mind.

We have the choice to allow ourselves to love ourselves.

Waking up in the morning and loving what you see in the mirror is one of the most self-empowering feelings. I once suffered from chronic acne and my imperfect teeth had me hiding my smile more than I'd like to admit. Even though I still break out and my teeth are no more perfect now than they were in the past, something feels different. I walk taller.

The day I realized my inner beauty outweighed every aspect of what I looked like on the outside, I became a much more satisfied person. My ability to love and my strong minded work ethic is what got me to where I was. The friends I made, the ladders I climbed and the success I had under my belt had nothing to do with what I looked like. So, why let it have so much of a play on my every day mindset? It was clutter.

One day, it clicked. I was tired of looking in the mirror and hating what I saw. I was tired of hiding my face or my smile, not embracing my true loving being and feeling like I needed to seek love from every person who came in my direction.

I was tired of allowing myself to feel unloved.

So, I started loving myself. Like all new relationships, it takes a lot of getting to know someone before you love them. It's a process and I finally committed to it. I started asking myself what I wanted instead of what other people want of me. I started putting myself first. I started making my own choices to put me on a path to a better state of mind. I let go of the clutter, I let go of what didn't help me thrive or grow and I let go of trying to impress others.

I am worthy of love. You are worthy of love. The day you realize that, you find a whole new way of seeing yourself. Your self worth and ability to be loved is not defined in body weight, acne scars, crooked teeth or status in society. Love yourself at your highs, lows and everything in between because you are truly the only person who will be there for you through it all.