Lately I've been learning

Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I really don’t like myself. Maybe I accidentally open my camera and it’s front-facing, maybe I speak a little too loudly and someone asks me to be quiet, maybe I text someone something that in retrospect was dumb. Sometimes it's something, most days it’s nothing. But to be honest there are days when I wonder what’s so great about me.

I’m telling you this not so you’ll think I’m cool or tell me why you like me. But rather as a reminder that the greatest battle each of us face is with ourselves. It’s so easy to forgive others their imperfections and love them for the essence of who they are. And yet when it comes to loving ourselves, our love is conditional. We have to be smart, thin, poised, graceful, flirty, driven, post perfect selfies, and always text back a clever emoji before we’ll even consider the fact that maybe we deserve a little love, too.

But the truth is you do. You deserve to love yourself without any condition. What a simple revelation.

Lately I’ve been learning to be a little nicer to myself, to pursue myself like I would anyone else. I look in the mirror and look for the good. I read books that make my mind feel beautiful. I listen to music that makes my soul soar. I treat myself to a little love, and the thing I’ve found is that loving myself makes me a much better person to be around. It means I have more love to give to those around me, more happiness to share. I know it’s not always easy, but you have to be kinder to yourself. You must, because frankly we need more people like you to be themselves. A little love goes a long way.

So do you, you beautiful butterfly. We’re waiting.

“I learned to love myself unconditionally because I am a queen.” –India Aire, "Video"

(Copied from Buzzfeed's Ashley newsletter)