Author Brené Brown wrote: “Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do.”
I agree with that statement. Learning to love and embrace all of who we are as we work through our story is extremely challenging.
The dysfunctional behaviors that we learned in childhood replay themselves in our brains and tend to come up during times of stress and when we hit challenges in life.
When we love ourselves, I speak of this as an action. Love. It’s a verb. If we only passively love ourselves (as though it’s the “thing to say these days”), we’ll be doing ourselves a disservice.
Often in growing up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional family, our needs were not acknowledged as kids. We may have been abandoned (physically or emotionally) because the adults in our lives struggled with the dysfunctional within our families.
As adults, we can love ourselves as we go on the journey. The importance of giving ourselves the love cannot be overstated. When we own our story, we’re coming into our strength. We’re not a victim, but a survivor. The difference between the two words is critical to our understanding of our path toward healing.
When we love ourselves as we own our story, we’re putting the strength and vitality back into our lives.
No longer are we passive waiting for someone else to love us. Those days are gone. Now we can embrace ourselves for who we are today. Perfectly imperfect. The bravery that we’re showing when we love ourselves is seen when we look in the mirror. You do not need to impress me. You need to love yourself.
The pain, suffering, and anxiety that you lived through are now yours to own and for you to rise up like a phoenix.
Own who you are.
Love yourself.
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