Valentine’s Day is often regarded as the day when you shower your significant other with flowers, chocolate, or other meaningful gifts. Although I think showing your romantic partners love is wonderful, this article is my effort to rebrand Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate ourselves as well. After all, we all deserve to celebrate how amazing we are! Whether Valentine’s Day is exciting for you, or a holiday that you choose to overlook, implementing positive self-talk is something anyone can benefit from.
As young women, it is easy to convince ourselves that we are unimportant, undervalued, or underappreciated. We may compare ourselves to other people or dwell on our physical features. Or others may influence us to think that we are just not good enough. Maybe it was that one toxic relationship or friendship that made us feel unworthy – that made us doubt our abilities. These unhealthy connections we obtain can be the reason why we internally feel low about ourselves.
Two of my friends from home are going through tough breakups. One is struggling to bounce back from a romantic relationship after her significant other cheated on her. The other did not see the breakup coming as she believed her relationship with her ex was going strong. Since their time apart from their ex-boyfriends, both of my friends have started believing that they are just not good enough, as if the world will not approve of them. Both of their breakup experiences have made me reflect back on when I experienced my first breakup. I felt the same feeling of rejection, like I was not worthy for anyone. But then I had an epiphany. How was I supposed to heal from a relationship if I didn’t try to build myself back up – if I didn’t try to begin loving myself again? I realized I needed to combat the negative energy I was internalizing and remember that I deserve better.
My realization showed me that none of us deserve to be around negative energy. We don’t deserve the people (whether it is a romantic partner, friend, or other individual) who dismantle the love we have for ourselves. We don’t deserve the bare minimum. Therefore, to steer away from potential negativity in our lives, we must create an imaginary magnetic field around us. This field will help us promote positive energy and remind us that we don’t have patience for the behavior that inflicts negativity on us. We deserve the things in life that make us feel great because we are phenomenal in our own ways. We must adopt the mentality that our time and energy is not automatic or owed to anyone. Instead, it is a gift that we alone choose to share.
After all, it is a privilege to be in your presence. Don’t let anyone take advantage of that privilege. So, as you celebrate Valentine’s Day, remember to love yourself first because you are incredible in your own way. You deserve to be surrounded by love and the best care. You deserve greatness.
Reference: “Date Yourself Instead” Podcast by: Lyss Boss