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Woohoo! Nothing like a light and fun entry to bring this blog back to life, ey? Kidding aside, this is something that I've been reflecting on the past few weeks and honestly, this as a little reminder for myself as well.

I've been struggling with a couple of things lately (don't worry, I'll be okay, it happens and I'm working on them) which led me to think about why exactly it's important to love yourself more. Why it's important for us to spend more time alone and just be. So allow me to share with you 5 reasons why I think it's important to give yourself more love.


1. Life's tough and there will always be challenges 



I'd like to think that everyone knows this, that it's "common knowledge." But why is it that when things get tough or we're faced with a problem, we're shocked? I mean, we knew it was inevitable that something could go wrong or we'd be challenged, so why are we caught off guard?

Because life's crazy. It has a funny way of making us feel so good one minute and bad the next. And that's why it's important to show yourself love- because everyone needs to be loved. I truly believe that with just a few quiet moments (and maybe a nice cup of peppermint tea), one can feel so much better.

We tend to neglect loving ourselves because we're so busy loving other people. We give and give and stretch ourselves thin just to make sure people are taken care of and loved. Don't get me wrong, that's wonderful. But how about you? Like I said, everyone needs to be loved, so never forget to give that love to yourself too. Trust me, you've earned it.

2. Burn outs are real (and so is your mental health)




I think now more than ever, people need to wake up and realize that mental health is an actual thing. It's not some "made up feeling" or drama, it's real. And burn outs are horrible. Loving yourself also means giving yourself a break. Taking a step back and just letting things go. For the moment.

Now don't mistake letting go with giving up- there's a big difference between the two. Letting go (for the moment) means you're acknowledging the issue and that it needs to be dealt with- but at the right time and with the right frame of mind. Giving up simply means, well, giving up on everything altogether. Which, if you ask me, is the worst thing you can do.

Whether it be stress at work, a tough moment in a relationship or family issues, problems can always be fixed and resolved, you just need to make sure you're ready to fix them. No matter how impossible or irreversible things may seem, THEY CAN BE FIXED. Unless there's some form of time constraint (like a actual deadline or expiry date) don't force or pressure yourself to rush and fix things. It's okay to be not okay for a while. You need that time to breathe before you end up burning out.

So take that moment now if you need to. And grab that cup of tea. 

3. We always think we have more time... but we don't


How overused is this, right? But it doesn't change the fact that it's true. Everyone says "oh don't worry, you have time," or "there's still time why are you worried?" The hard and painful truth, my friends, is we actually don't know how much time we really have. As I've gotten older huhu I've seen people waste tons of opportunities to mend relationships, fix fights and change bad habits. And then it was just too late.

Death is promised to everyone. At any time, anywhere. So make sure you're living everyday to the best of your abilities. And please, be kind. To others and to yourself.

Only God knows how much time we have in this world. He knows exactly how our lives are going to unfold. So live every single day without hesitation, without doubts. Trust YOUR process. And love yourself. Somebody's got to.


4. It's easy to get lost in this world and in the lies it feeds you



There's a reason I always tell people to be kind. It's because this world is already filled with so much negativity and hate that it gets harder and harder to breathe *cue Maroon 5 song* As sad as it is there are people in this world who can't stand the thought of others succeeding. Crab mentality, as they say, is a disease that many are diagnosed with.

Loving yourself means believing in yourself. Being able to trust your own strengths and learning from your mistakes and shortcomings. Everyone has off days and bad days, but that doesn't mean they lack as people. That doesn't mean that you've failed as a person. The beauty of life is that you are constantly learning. Every single day is a chance to learn something new. So take on that challenge. Learn from everything and everyone.

Social media, although a beautiful and wonderful thing, can also be very toxic. I've had my fair share of insecurities and frustrations because I couldn't disconnect from it. I associated my worth and success via the likes and engagements that I got from my accounts. And you know what? That's another lie in this world. That likes = worth.

No. No. NO. One big, solid, HELL NO. Never think that you need to be any other way except yourself okay? Just because someone's life on social media looks perfect (I can promise you right now it isn't) doesn't mean yours has to be. Life isn't a competition. No matter what the world tells you. That also doesn't mean you should slack off or be lazy, no. If there's anyone you should be "competing" with, it should be with who you were yesterday. Let's build each other up, not tear each other down.

5. You deserve to be loved




At the end of the day, you too, deserve to be loved. So you know what, instead of waiting for someone else to love you, why not love yourself? Remember, you don't need anyone to make you feel "worth it." You are worth it. Jesus died on the cross FOR YOU. He wouldn't have done that for just anybody. He did it for YOU. Why? Because YOU'RE SPECIAL. DIFFERENT. WORTH IT.

Never attach your worth to anything or to anyone other than the Lord. You were made exactly how you are because God sees you, loves you and knows you. So don't ever think that you aren't worth it.

Another thing I learned is don't be afraid to be alone. Sometimes we need to just step back and be with ourselves. I love taking time away from social media, work, life stuff and just be. I light candles, listen to music, read a book or binge watch movies/shows. Why? Because it's important to be comfortable and secure enough with yourself to not need anyone to be around you constantly. It also gets tiring to be social you know?



Anyhoozen, I hope this entry was insightful or at least entertaining enough to read. Like I said, I haven't typed out my thoughts on here in a while and I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda scared about doing this again. But if you did stick around till the end of this, then, thank you. I appreciate you. Have a great weekend!