Self Love and Celebration is an ongoing Effort...
When Brooke Michelle came to me wanting to document a very transformative time of her life, I said, "Yes! Let's do the damn thing!"
Learning to love yourself is not always doing the things that give instant gratification. I once heard the saying "Discipline is the strongest form of self-love. It is ignoring current pleasure for bigger rewards to come". Now am I saying not to eat that chocolate chip cookie that you've had on your mind all day? Absolutely not, I would be a lying to myself and you if that was the case. But instead, it means to put in the work now for a better tomorrow. Go to therapy, get outside, find the things you love, and surround yourself with those that value and cherish you. Put in the work, and not just the work that checks off the minimum to building a better self, but put in the hard work. The uncomfortable work. The quiet, behind closed doors work. The kind of work that breaks you down to your core to then build yourself back up on the beliefs and values that hold strong to you. Move forward. Love those around you. Sit with the shadows of life and learn to love the lesions that come. Invest in yourself.
