Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Self-LoVe Day

A few years back, there was a blogger carnival, promoting Valentine's Day as Self-Love Day. I've been celebrating it that way ever since.

It's so easy to be hard on ourselves, and it never quite feels right to say what we love about ourselves. In fact, I was telling Sylvia about this a few days ago, and her immediate reaction was that it was conceited. It's not conceited, I told her, to say that we like certain things about ourselves. It doesn't mean we think we're perfect, or that we're superior, just that we do have our good qualities.

So without further disclaimers, here are a few things I like about me:

I can prioritize effectively.Yes, I actually think I have a pretty good balance in my life. I make time for my friends, my family, and myself. At work, I know what has to be done first, and if I don't, I know how to find out. I have accepted that there are never enough hours in the day, and I work with what I have so that every day feels productive.

I'm a fast learner. I'm never the smartest person in the room, but I can quickly assess the big picture and enhance it. I can learn in any environment, educationally or on the job. I take direction well, and I usually can add something new to the process that improves it.

I surround myself with great people. I have amazing friends that make me a better person.

I'm adventurous. I'm never going to climb a mountain - not that kind of adventure - but I don't back down from opportunities that come my way. I've been a failure in some and have looked like an idiot more times than I'd like to remember, but I remain proud of myself for not being afraid to try.

I'm good at being alone. I've always been good at being alone. I would spend hours in my room by myself, making up my own stories, singing along to my favorite Broadway tunes, reading, thinking. That's never changed.

I hope everyone will take a moment today to remember the best things about ourselves. Happy Self-Love Day!

2 comments:

Tara R. said...

Both of my menfolk will be gone tonight, either at school or work. I should take myself on a date, and celebrate me. Happy Self-Love Day!

Onely said...

Actually this is a really good idea. Usually V-day discussions are polarized between those who celebrate the couple-unit and those who diss the holiday completely (um, that's me). But your approach is much healthier, and a good exercise.

Why is so hard for us to tout our strong points? Why, for example, is writing cover letters or resumes so painful? Why is it so hard to say, "I'm a great person!" Because our culture doesn't really teach us that that's ok. It's fine if someone *else* says it, but if we say it ourselves, that borders on braggy. Let's change that! = )
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