When we hear the words “love yourself” we often associate it with the word happiness. Of course, they are closely related but not many of us actually know what self-love means or what it takes to actually attain it. Those 2 words are becoming more and more popular in this freighting generation of self-harm and teen mental illness/disorders because it’s obviously the cure to this ever growing epidemic. But the problem with telling people to simply “love themselves” is like telling a drug addict to “stop doing drugs” or an alcoholic to “just stop drinking.” It’s completely a waste of time because someone addicted to drugs or alcohol isn’t going to just stop, they can’t see a life without it, they don’t see a way out. That is exactly what trying to push self-love onto people is: a waste of time. What we as a society don’t understand is that this generation has grown up addicted to self-loathing, harm and depression because we DON’T know a life without it, and we DON’T know how to change it.
When an alcoholic or drug addict see that glimmer of light, they will end up going through rehab and a lot of painful months of struggle and despair because it’s a habit that is not easily broken. Most cases there is struggle their whole life to refrain from going back to their old life and that is EXACTLY what loving yourself is like. The only difference between the two is that the first step in drug/alcohol addictions is admitting you have a problem and for learning how to love yourself it is taking the first step to changing it. Reason being is that everyone in this generation knows in some way, shape or form they have a problem with themselves and even in some cases it’s become a fad to be depressed or do self-harm, but I’ll save that topic for another post. The real test of faith is actually doing something about the knowledge you have about yourself.
When I began my first steps on my journey to self-love I quickly discovered that it was and probably always will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. To my dismay, it was not just simply making the decision to “love myself”- whatever that meant- and POOF my life is suddenly awesome and fantastic like all the quotes and videos said. It requires me to pin point the parts in my life where things just aren’t working for who I really want to be and I have to either change them or completely erase them from my life. That most certainly includes friends, relationships, what you do on Friday nights, how you talk to people, what you talk about, and your entire outlook on life. Then comes the next stage of not just removing things from your life; it’s the building of new friendships, lifestyles and perspectives that makes this journey so damn difficult. It’s the moments of uncertainty and vulnerability, when you feel as though you’re standing still in a crowd of rushing people and have no clue what to do or where to go. When every part of you feels so uncomfortable and lost in the imbetween of your old life and your new one, that’s when life puts your strength, courage and determination to the final test. The moment has finally come for you to decide whether you’re willing to fight for you or if you’re going to let the world win.
I don’t quite remember my deciding moment, but I do however remember the moment where I dropped to my knees, took off my hypothetic boxing gloves and raised my arms in victory. And that feeling is the absolute best feeling in the world, to know “I made it.” Now it’s only a matter of picking myself up when I lose my balance because this fight is never over, but it’s certainly in my favour.
Dignitize Your Life 