'I love myself right now, just exactly as I am.'

Love is always possible. Even love towards ourselves.

You (like me) are probably sometimes hard on yourself. Maybe you worry about less-than-stellar choices you've made. Maybe you blame yourself for disappointing your kids. We each have had different experiences and carry different baggage, but we all carry some baggage.

We know it's good to love ourselves, right? But that will be easier to do when we're better, maybe when we finally start working out. Or when we have a clean house. Or when we have some money saved. Or have been kind to our kids for an entire day with no big screw ups.

But loving ourselves isn't the last step that comes when we've sorted everything else out. It doesn't come when we're good enough. It's the first step, the one that supports the kindness and love we want to share with other people.

Imagine this, imagine living today with the idea that you deserve to be loved like you are right now, in all of your imperfection. How would that feel? Let's do it. 'I love myself, right now, just exactly as I am.' Try saying it, or maybe writing it. Let's say it to ourselves every hour today, and actually mean it as much as possible. And let's see how that goes.

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