By Isabella Regino
Hey Pointers! With Valentine’s Day coming up, a lot of people tend to feel lonely. With this holiday traditionally celebrated by spending time with your significant other and showering them with gifts and heart-shaped candies, it’s hard to see couples happy everywhere and it can make you feel left out. However, let me let you in on a little secret: you don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy. Find love within yourself. Find happiness with your friends or family, or on your own this Valentine’s Day! The love is already within you; you just need to tap into it.
The methods of loving yourself not only apply to Valentine’s Day, but they are also important for everyday life.The first thing you need to do is accept yourself for who you are. Not for who you want to be, and especially not for others who are telling you who you are. Accept yourself, your flaws, achievements, and all. We are imperfect. You don’t have to look, act, or be perfect. Society tries to fool us in this way. Don’t believe that you have to live up to a certain standard of beauty or perfection. You are beautiful, and you are human! You are not the mistakes you’ve made. Realize this fact and accept those parts that you cannot change. Let it be.
Furthermore, set realistic goals for yourself that you want to achieve. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t achieve something right away. Think kind thoughts in your mind and take care of yourself. We can always improve ourselves! Be proud of who you are and your accomplishments, whatever their size!
Also, take care of yourself. We usually know what’s best for us. If you know what you want in life, don’t give up on it. It’s just having the courage to take action on what needs to be worked on. Set standards for what you want in a relationship, in a job, and even in life. It isn’t too much to ask for. It’s knowing your self-worth. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live the life that you want to live. Love yourself so that you can work towards your dreams and learn to love your life. Learn how to say “no” when you need to and don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve.
The bottom line is that loving yourself is becoming your own lover and best friend. Go out and do things by yourself. Have fun! Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Being yourself means expressing yourself unapologetically, without waiting for someone or something to tell you how to be. Appreciate yourself in every way. I believe in you!