Of love

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Mother Teresa

Lately, I have been very judgmental toward myself. Mostly about my physical appearance.
I have been struggling with the way my body looks and how I feel. I can't quite resolve the conflict inside of me between just being happy with who I am as a mother and a wife and the desire to be a better looking woman.

"Love is the flower you've got to let grow." John Lennon

The other day, I took some self portraits. When I was looking through most of them I thought how unattractive I was. Then as I was washing dishes one evening and thinking of my lack of beauty I began to realize how horrible I had been acting. My negative self image was infecting me with hateful feelings toward myself as a person.
So, in order to combat all the negativity and destructive feelings, I decided to do a post about love. Love of self. Love of MYSELF. To let the "flower" grow.
This is in no way meant to be a vain post. It is is no way meant to be a "puffed up," prideful post. It is simply me shouting out to the world, the things I love about myself.
It is also a post of encouragement. I think that we, as women need to take a moment to boost ourselves up. I know that we should not focus on physical beauty alone but I think it might be okay to look upon our outward appearance every once in a while. So, just for this post I am going to share the physical characteristics that I like about myself.

1. My hair. I really do love my hair. It is stick straight and shiny. I cannot remember the last time I blow dried it. (I only blow my bangs out which takes all of 1-2 minutes.) When I let it air dry, it turns out the way it is in the picture at the top of this post. I am lucky.
2. My feet. I have always thought my feet were cute, except for about 4 months during my pregnancy. I have had other people tell me I have pretty feet too.
3. My smile. I was voted "best smile" in our high school superlatives. I am fortunate that my teeth are pretty straight, considering the fact that I have never had braces. My cheeks are nice and round and jolly.
4. My skin. I don't wear makeup very much and when I do, it is just eye makeup. I have a little powder I use for my face occasionally, but generally, my skin looks pretty good and I don't have to use it.
5. My hands. They remind me of my mother's hands.

"The art of love is largely the the art of persistence." Albert Ellis

Now, I just need to remain persistent in loving myself. Persistent in serving others, for that will help me become more beautiful. Persistent in faith of the Lord for that will sustain my inner and outer beauty.

Elder Richard G. Scott said,

"So many of our sisters are disheartened, even discouraged, and disillusioned. Others are in serious trouble because of the choices they make. Satan has unleashed a seductive campaign to undermine the sanctity of womanhood, to deceive the daughters of God and divert them from their divine destiny. He well knows women are the compassionate, self-sacrificing, loving power that binds together the human family. He would focus their interests solely on their physical attributes and rob them of their exalting roles as wives and mothers. He has convinced many of the lie that they are third-class citizens in the kingdom of God. That falsehood has led some to trade their divinely given femininity for male coarseness."

I hope we all recognize our exalting roles as wives and mothers and recognize the beauty that comes with those divine responsibilities.

And that we love ourselves a little bit more.