Love Yourself

     As long as I can remember, Valentine's Day has been one of my most favorite holidays. I'd say that it had a lot to do with the fact that in grade school, Valentine's Day was a pretty special event. We'd have a little party and everyone would go around placing valentines in little mail boxes that we crafted in class. Besides the school festivities, my parents always bought my me and my sister a little something, as they said we were their valentines. So, no doubt that growing up it was a holiday I always looked forward to. As the years have gone by, what Valentine's Day represents has of course fluctuated. But for me, it has always been a celebration of love. Love for the people in my life and most recently, love for myself.

     The past year and a half I've been working in a boutique fitting women for bras. As part of the bra-fitting process involves seeing women in their bras, I've been privy to seeing women at their most vulnerable. Unfortunately, a common theme that I've noticed in these women is unhappiness with their bodies. It's interesting because as women our bodies vary so widely and as someone who fits for bras, this is obviously something I notice every day. I always find it ironic when a woman comes in complaining about having a small chest when I had a customer earlier in the day complain about being too busty. But what baffles me the most is when I have an absolutely beautiful customer that complains about "flaws" that aren't even there. My job has made me very aware of the fact that we are all built different, but that is not a bad thing.

   If there's one thing that I have gained from working here, it has been more body confidence. Seeing so many women struggle with their body confidence has made me realize that of course we all have flaws, but the way we react to these flaws is what is most important. In my experience, some of the most beautiful women have been those that had flaws and just owned them. They were comfortable in their skin and that truly made their beauty shine. 

     Trust me, I know it's not easy. With social media bombarding us with images of our "ideal" body, weight loss guides, and gorgeous celebrities, it can be difficult not to scrutinize our flaws. But, what I've learned is how important it is to not let our imperfections dictate how we feel about ourselves. Instead, we should look in the mirror and say, " Well, I am not exactly where I would like my body to be, but you know what? I'm still beautiful". I will tell you that this won't always be easy to do, but the more that you refrain from criticizing yourself, the easier it will be to see yourself in a positive light.

     So, no matter how you celebrate Valentine's Day, I want you to take the time to love yourself just as much as you love the people around you. I'm sure you'll notice how truly beautiful the person in front of you really is:)

     I wish you lots of love, wine, and chocolate this weekend. I'll be talking to you soon!

~Genesis<3