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The Love of Your Life: Embracing the Person in the Mirror

Sharishtha Lal Student Contributor, Manipal University Jaipur
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MUJ chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.


“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
— Buddha 

We’ve all heard the classic love stories of two souls destined to meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after. We imagine a fairytale kind of love story, mostly because of stories, movies, and songs paint love as something external. But what if the most meaningful love story isn’t about finding someone else — what if it’s about falling in love with yourself?

Loving yourself isn’t a consolation prize or a backup plan; it’s the foundation of every other relationship you’ll ever have. 

We grow up believing that love is something we find  in another person, in a relationship that sweeps us off our feet. We’re taught that true happiness comes from being chosen by someone else. Yet, the most powerful love story you can experience isn’t about meeting “the one”, it’s about discovering that you are the love of your life ;) 

The Quiet Revolution

Self-love is more than a feel-good idea; it’s a quiet revolution against everything that tells you you’re not enough. It’s not just about celebrating your wins; it’s about standing by yourself when you stumble.

True self-love is messy and challenging. It’s forgiving yourself for words better left unsaid and choices you wish you hadn’t made. It’s learning to silence the inner voice that says, “You’re not good enough,” and replacing it with one that whispers, “You are enough.”

“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.”  -Katrina Mayer

It’s waking up on tough days and, even in doubt, choosing to be kind to yourself. This isn’t an easy path, but it’s the most rewarding one you’ll ever walk.

When Love Becomes a Battlefield: Escaping Toxic Attachments

We’re often taught that love is something you fight for, that if you just try harder or give more, things will magically fall into place. But love isn’t supposed to feel like a war.

Toxic relationships aren’t always loud and chaotic. Sometimes they’re quiet, constant feeling that you’re never quite enough, or a slow erosion of your self-worth. It’s the kind of love that leaves you anxious, questioning your every move, and blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault.

Walking away from toxic love isn’t weakness-it’s strength💪. Choosing to leave a space that drains your energy is an act of self-preservation. It’s choosing to believe that you deserve more — even if that means starting over.

“You deserve the love that you keep trying to give everyone else.”—Unknown

Real love doesn’t require you to shrink yourself to fit someone else’s comfort. It doesn’t silence your voice or make you question your own value. Letting go isn’t giving up, it’s choosing peace over chaos.

The Solitude Symphony

Being alone is often confused with being lonely. But solitude isn’t an absence, it’s a presence. A powerful one.

In solitude, you meet yourself fully without distractions, without compromise. It’s in these quiet moments that you rediscover what makes your heart race, what excites your mind, and what brings you joy.

Maybe it’s journaling your day, painting, hiking, singing, dancing alone in your room or simply sipping coffee in silence. Whatever it is, solitude gives you space to reconnect with the things that light you up inside and makes you feel happiness without any dependency.

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” — Henry David Thoreau

Solitude also reveals what you’ve been avoiding. It’s a mirror that reflects your deepest fears, your insecurities, and your unspoken dreams. Facing those things can be uncomfortable, but it’s how you grow.

When you embrace solitude, you realize you don’t need constant noise or company to feel whole. You are enough even in stillness.

Becoming Your Own Love Story: The Art of Falling for Yourself

Falling in love with yourself isn’t about arrogance, it’s about appreciation. It’s about seeing your own journey and recognizing how far you’ve come.

It’s celebrating your quiet victories like choosing to rest when you’re overwhelmed or setting boundaries when it’s hard. It’s smiling at your reflection not because you’re perfect, but because you’re learning to love what you see.

Forgiveness plays a huge role here. Too often, we punish ourselves for past mistakes, carrying guilt like a burden we refuse to put down. But self-love is about understanding that your past doesn’t define you BUT  your growth does.

Most importantly, self-love is about trusting yourself again. Trusting your instincts, your choices, and your ability to rebuild no matter how many times you’ve been knocked down.

The Love That’s Been There All Along

Relationships may begin and end, but your relationship with yourself is the one that lasts a lifetime. The person who’s been there through every heartbreak, every triumph, and every silent battle that person is the one who deserves your deepest love.

So look in the mirror really. The person staring back at you has carried you through storms you thought you wouldn’t survive. They’ve shown strength when you felt weak and courage when you felt afraid.

That person is remarkable. That person is enough. That person is YOU.

“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” — Louise Hay

The greatest love story isn’t about finding someone else to complete you-it’s about discovering that you were whole all along.

For more thought-provoking articles, explore Her Campus at MUJ.

Sharishtha is the Editorial Director at Her Campus Manipal University Jaipur and a third-year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) student at Manipal University Jaipur.
A writer by instinct and a law student by choice, she finds her peace in penning down thoughts that challenge the status quo and speak to deeper truths. For Sharishtha, writing is not just a creative outlet it’s her anchor, her voice, and her way of making sense of the world.

Driven by her deep interest in gender equity, social justice, and the unspoken layers of everyday life, Sharishtha uses her voice to start conversations that matter. Her belief? If you want to change the world, start by changing the narrative.

Inspired by Mohammed Qahtani’s words—“Words have power, words are power, words could be your power” she writes to empower, provoke, and heal, believing that language, when used right, becomes a form of activism.

At Her Campus MUJ, she leads a diverse team of writers , who share a common love for meaningful dialogue. As Editorial Director, she fosters a space where every voice is welcomed, every perspective is valid, and every story has the potential to move hearts and minds.

In between writing deadlines and law lectures, you’ll probably find her scribbling in a journal, re-reading a quote she underlined months ago, or just sitting in stillness with an idea she’s yet to unravel. Because for her, writing isn’t a task it’s a way of breathing.