When I first really started out on the journey to loving myself, I snagged a bunch of her free stuff. I posted a few of the things up on my bathroom mirror, where they still sit.
I think a big part of the problem was learning to trust myself. Growing up in my household, I was constantly praised for my smarts and then told that I was an idiot. I became very insecure because I internalized the latter even if the former was true.
In order to truly start knowing myself, I’ve had to treat myself like a best friend. I often think about how I would treat T or Kels if they were going through similar things… or, at least, what I would tell them. Between that and reading these every time I’m in the bathroom, it really started to click.
Instead of pushing myself too far, I am resting when needed and learning to speak up about things. It hasn’t been easy. There are days where I’ve wanted to rip those papers off the wall and feed them to the guinea pigs… because that wouldn’t be as wasteful and they LOVE paper, especially Jaq.
Another thing that seemed to be in my way is patience. I usually am really good at being patient with others but I often feel impatient with myself. I should be able to do what I want, whether it’s cooking or cleaning or building a desk.
It’s been really hard to have to step back and try to be kind and show compassion to myself when my hands don’t work especially. Hands weren’t ever a problem for me until the last few years. As a writer and someone who is on the computer often or doing things that kinda need good motor skills, this is incredibly hard. Give me my limp any day over crip hands!
Anyway, this is where affirmations can really come in handy. They can be really simple or general.
Or very pointed and specific.
Either way, they can really help.
What are some affirmations that you might be able to use?