The most supportive love

The most supportive love I have ever known is the love I hold for myself. 

On a day that centers romantic love, I can’t help but think about how my life has changed through the power of loving *me*.

In a world and society that seems determined to condition us to hate ourselves, to tear others apart, it feels revolutionary to love yourself boldly and without condition. And it’s one of the hardest things I’ve faced in this lifetime. 

We don’t have to be perfect to love ourselves. We don’t have to have checked everything off our to-do list or reach every milestone we set for ourselves. We don’t have to be successful or beautiful or a perfect partner, daughter, or friend to be able to love ourselves. 

We won’t all climb to the top of the self-love mountain at the same time, in the same way, but I know deep in my bones that loving ourselves is a practice, like anything else. And little by little, we can start to chip away at all the reasons we think we’re unworthy of love and begin to lean into the realization that we’re not only loveable, but we are *deserving* of that love, especially from ourselves. 

That’s why it’s so important to me to create spaces for you to let yourself shine unapologetically, to be your own biggest cheerleader, and take up as much as you need to, simply by being you. 

Whether today is about romantic love or the love you have for your friends, family, pets, clients, or coworkers, I hope you take a moment and a few deep breaths to love on yourself. For no other reason than because you deserve to be deeply, passionately loved by you.