You should be your first priority in your life.
By Abby Jamison — Written on Aug 04, 2017
Love yourself… it sounds appealing, doesn’t it? We get told to love ourselves in music, media, and by our overly supportive mothers, but how do we really do it?
Do people really love themselves, or is it all just a bunch of talk?
The idea that loving yourself is a one-time thing is the FIRST idea you need to throw out. Self-love is not an easy game to play. You’re gonna SWEAT and CRY... and most of the time, it won’t REALLY be that fun.
But let me tell you, when actually learn to start loving yourself as you are, and you learn to get rid of the negative self-talk, you will grow more than you ever thought you could.
So who do you look at as a role model? Who’s the best teacher of self-love?
Looking to someone for inspiration helps. Take a look at Alex Elle, a poet and a writer who features much of her work on her Instagram.
But she's more than just a poet; she is a spokeswoman for overcoming hardships, abuse and heartbreak through self-love, self-care, and affirmative language.
You learn the story of her life through her poetry, and she leaves nothing out. By sharing her journey, she’s showing others how self-care leads to a life of love and healing.
Her Instagram is like a diary; and her life looks SERIOUSLY beautiful. And that’s because she admits that it’s not always perfect.
Her feed is scattered with images and stories of her husband, daughter, and now a new baby on the way. She shares her life with her audience and makes us love her even MORE than we already did.
As it says on her website, “Her passion for storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing are infused with life lessons, self-celebration, and building community through reading, writing, and language.”
Never lose your magic.
Photo: Instagram
"You will love people who will never love you back. And still you musn't misplace your magic." - Alex Elle
Protect yourself.
Photo: Instagram
"Some people will always have to be kept at (or loved from) a distance. Don't feel guilty for protecting your space and peace of mind." - Alex Elle
Stop hurrying.
Photo: Instagram
"Note to self: to genuinely appreciate life and enjoy the process of living, you must be mindful, intentional, and patient. Stop hurrying. Honor the sacred act of taking your time." - Alex Elle
Stand in your love.
Photo: Instagram
"When I fell in love and it didn't hurt or threaten my joy I knew it was finally real and safe enough to stand in." - Alex Elle
Own it.
Photo: Instagram
"Be bold enough to stand tall in your truth. You are powerful. You are a force. No one can take your story away from you. Own it." - Alex Elle
Real love.
Photo: Instagram
"I've never had anyone say to me that love, real love, would be my greatest joy. That it would come in the night and seep into my heart like spilled milk into the cracks of reclaimed wood tables. No one ever said love should be safe or feel sacred or that it's better when shared with two whole hearts instead of halves." - Alex Elle
Let it go.
Photo: Instagram
"The hardest thing about unlearning is letting go of what you thought you knew." - Alex Elle
Careful.
Photo: Instagram
"Ease into yourself, sweetly. Take your time. There is no rush to put yourself back together all at once." - Alex Elle
unlove is not sweet.
Photo: Instagram
"Who taught you to unlove yourself so sweetly that you actually thought it tasted good?" - Alex Elle
Womanhood is powerful.
Photo: Instagram
"Womanhood taught me: staying silent about my story and struggle serves no one. I was given a voice and I will share and speak up for women who feel voiceless." - Alex Elle
One-sided.
Photo: Instagram
"You will love people who will never love you back. And still you mustn't ever misplace your magic." - Alex Elle
Show up for yourself.
Photo: Instagram
"There will be moments in life when showing up for yourself will mean leaving behind the people who dont." - Alex Elle
Triumphant.
Photo: Instagram
"I am still me without you. I found myself in the same darkness that I found my light." - Alex Elle
Love YOU.
Photo: Instagram
"You don't need them to love you for you to love you." - Alex Elle
Repair.
Photo: Instagram
"We want people to love us. So hard that they glue us back together into our whole self again. We place broken eggs and hearts into wicker baskets praying for a miracle. And when they can't, we realize, the work was never up to them. It was always up to us." - Alex Elle
Make room for happiness.
Photo: Instagram
"How do you find happiness? You don't, it finds you. Your job is to simply make room for when it shows up." - Alex Elle
Piece by peace.
Photo: Instagram
"how do we rebuild our brokenness? Day by day. Piece by peace." - Alex Elle
Be something for yourself.
Photo: Instagram
"I can't be everything to everyone else if I am nothing to myself." - Alex Elle
Be tender.
Photo: Instagram
"Today I affirm: with resilience must come tenderness." - Alex Elle
Love has many flavors.
Photo: Instagram
"We must keep in mind that love tastes different to everyone."- Alex Elle