As both the Holiday Season and this year come to an end, we
all start jotting down a mile-long list of New Year's Resolutions. Some of us
want to start saving money so we can finally buy that Prada purse we’ve been
looking at for a few months; some want to start going to the gym, instead of
binge-watching shows on Netflix; some want to finally drop everything and go on
year-long euro trip, which will most likely result in reckless, yet most
memorable decisions of their lives; and some want to simply find someone to
love and be loved back.
All of these, and a million more resolutions sound great in
theory, but if you tell me that you follow through with every single New Year's
Resolution you make, then you’re a little liar.
New Year's Resolutions are great and very inspiring
if you ask me, but the problem is that they don’t last longer than a week. Or
in some very persistent cases a month. Life is life, na naa na na na. And it
gets in the way of us trying to keep up with the promises we made ourselves on
the 31st of December, after finishing our 6th (which btw
is not even close to last) glass of champagne.
So instead of writing out long lists of things I want to
change and improve in my life, this year I’ve decided to take a different route
and have one, only one New Year's Resolution, and that is, to love myself.
Here’s why:
Loving yourself means
staying in good shape.
If you truly care for yourself, you will get up at 7am and
go to the gym. And if you’re anything like me, it will be painfully hard, and
you will cry and your body will tremble, but after a week or two of doing it,
you will feel like taking over the world. Your random aches and pains will go
away, and the feeling of your body slowly falling apart will forever
vanish.
Loving yourself means having
good relationships in your life.
And in this case I mean friendships and relationships with
your family. If you want yourself to be happy, you will surround yourself will
positive people. And of course, we all have our ups and downs and just because
someone is going through a rough patch DOES NOT mean you should drop them. But
if you surround yourself with constantly nagging, annoying, negative people,
you will too become a Negative Nancy. We don’t choose the family we are born
into, but we can choose not to be a part of horrible Thanksgiving Dinner
fights, and go play with our adorable baby cousins instead.
Loving yourself means being
ambitious.
To me, life is a constant lesson. The more I experience, the
more I grow as a person. And the more I grow as a person, the more ambitious I
become. I personally love and respect myself enough to think that I can achieve
whatever it is a want to achieve. However there is always room for improvement. According to my grandmother "we learn until we die", and I wholeheartedly agree. And no matter how many times I fall flat on
my face, I get up and go, because failure is not an option.
Loving yourself means
giving.
Giving is gaining. And the more you give to your community,
to the society we live in, or simply to your friends and family, the better you
will feel about yourself. We all go through times of confusion, when nothing
matters and everything seems pointless. Find something you stand for, something
you believe in, and find a way to contribute. Whether it’s a local dance
studio, Autism Awareness Group, or a local shelter, if it means something to
you -contribute. Trust me.
Loving yourself means respecting
your beliefs.
I’ve dated guys who didn’t understand my background, my
beliefs or what I stand for. And I have to admit, my beliefs and my life are pretty complicated. Because of that I always felt like there was something wrong with me.
Like I didn’t fit in, like I had to prove myself worthy to someone. And after a
few pretty horrible experiences, I realized that I am proud of what I stand for. I
know what my background means to me, and if you are not willing to at least try to
understand it, then adios amigo. Accept who you are and accept the life you were given, don't stress over things you cannot change. When someone is right for you, they will love you despite your flaws and complications.
Basically, the point of all of this, is that before you go
on trying to change your life, your relationships, your weight or your hair
color, ask yourself one question: Do you love yourself for who you are and for
what you stand for? Let me know how it goes. ;)
Happy New Year!
