To Myself: I Love You

This is what Donovan brought home from school a few weeks ago and it touched my heart. 

How often do we write love notes to ourselves? Or thank you notes? Or any kind of letter that is filled with love, appreciation and affection?  

Maybe Donovan wasn’t really thinking of himself like that. Maybe he was just not sure who to address the note to, so he chose himself.  But wouldn’t it be so cool to just treat ourselves the same way we treat others. To love ourselves without the fear of judgment or pride creeping in?  

Speaking to a group of young adults, President Russell M. Nelson has said, “The way you think about who you…are affects…every decision you will make.” 

So, how do you think about yourself? 

I know I wrote a little bit ago about my solo retreat last fall, but I reflect on that experience a lot and what it did for me. What I think about this most is how much I came away from that experience realizing how much I like myself. That feels so wrong to say out loud, but I wonder if we don’t say it enough! 

Try it. 

Just say: I like myself. 

Or even, in Donovan’s words, “To Myself: I love you.” 

In that statement we are not excusing ourselves from our weaknesses or mistakes. We are not putting ourselves above others. We are not being prideful or arrogant. If we believe what President Nelson said, then believing this statement will only enhance our abilities to make clear and loving decisions. 

Love of Self Takes Time

I haven’t always been able to say this about myself. Even now, writing all of this down, I feel super vulnerable and like I’m making a big mistake.  This journey of loving ourselves is not an easy road. If anything, it gets harder before our true self emerges. As children we are generally protected from the faulty beliefs the adults around us adopted and passed down. The longer we live, the more experiences we might have that strip away the truth of who we really are and the truth that we are lovable. At least, this has been my personal experience in navigating a relationship with myself. 

“Love of God takes time. Love of family takes time…Love of neighbor takes time. Love of companions takes time…Love of self takes time.”  —Marvin J. Ashton

When sweet Patrricia Holland (one of my favorites!) passed away, I searched for all the talks she had given. She actually spoke a lot about being mindful and truly loving ourselves. One thing she said was, “When you dwell on your limitations exclusively…you mock God in his very creation.  You deny the divinity within you!” 

Don’t deny the divinity of your very existence! Being human is just a part of our eternal experience.  We put a lot of weight into it, but in reality it’s just a glimpse of time. 

So write yourself that love note!  Keep it somewhere you can always read it. Or write a new one every single day. The hardest part will be believing what you read.  But if you read it often enough, you will.  You are worth celebrating and loving. 

To You: I Love You! 

* * * * * * 

“While our good is found by displaying His glory, 

His glory is found by bringing about our good.”  

- - Hannah Anderson, Made for More