Self-love comes from within. It is a mindset. Self-love is self-created. It is not a mass-produced social stigma catalyzed by the emotions of others.
You must allow kindness to cultivate inside your soul.
Stop tending to needs. Stop caring without question. Stop aiding the broken.
Ask yourself: Who is there for me when I need healing? Who is there for me when I need someone?
A life of prioritizing others hides you in a land far, far away. It casts you in the distant darkness. People forget about you when you forget about yourself.
It takes courage to shift your focus from the people who surround you to the person in the mirror. It takes strength to follow a path of self-dependence and self-discovery. It takes determination to break away from toxic traits and bad habits.
It is human nature to believe that putting the needs and the emotions of others before your own makes you a good person. And it is human nature to believe that neglecting the needs and the emotions others makes you a bad person.
Well, guess what.
You matter.
You are important.
You deserve to put yourself first.
So find your passion. Run wild and free. Find your happiness. And never let it go.
Find yourself. Build yourself. Plant a seed. Nourish the seed with water, nutrients and sunshine. Step back and watch it grow.
Watch the water seep into the soil. Watch the nutrients feed the lifeform. Watch the sunshine break through the clouds and spark the sprouting bud.
Stop sharing drops of water in the midst of a drought. Stop giving handfuls of minimal nutrients. Stop hiding in the shade.
Grow. Develop. Learn. Prioritize.
Admire the stable stem and strong, healthy roots. The delicate and detailed leaves. The sophisticated and defined petals.
You are one of kind.
You are a masterpiece.
You deserve to put yourself first.
THOUGHT CATALOG