As college girls around the country begin the New Year once again, their minds become engulfed in the countless resolutions they plead to fulfill once again. Year after year the resolutions become stagnant: lose five pounds, find a hot boyfriend, get all A’s, land a high paying job, become more stylish, and the list goes on and on. Despite the hundreds of resolutions that make your annual self-betterment list, what is the one item that consistently fails to make the list? Love yourself. Loving yourself means accepting your flaws, your insecurities, and your self-doubts and appreciating you for who you are. Not a flatter stomach from now, not a successful love life from now, not even a better GPA from now, but loving yourself exactly as you are at this very moment.
One obvious reason this decree never seems to find its way onto your resolution list is that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible to achieve. It’s a lot easier to focus on what you don’t like about yourself, than to think about what you do. But, as the New Year settles in, make this the year that you resolve to appreciate yourself. X out all of those heartless resolutions telling you that you aren’t good enough, and find out what truly makes you special. Concentrate on accepting your flaws, and then looking past them and thinking only about what you do well, your best traits, your best bodily assets, your favorite quirks. Take what you love about yourself and use it to make this the best year yet – the year when you will realize that you are already perfect.
How to use what you love about yourself to make 2012 the best year ever?
1. Your beauty: Concentrate on what physical aspect of yourself you love the most. It is your dark green eyes? Your long legs? Your bright red hair? Once you know what you love about your looks, you can put together outfits and use makeup that will highlight your best features. Stop yourself from using clothing and cosmetics to hide imperfections and you will begin to look and feel more beautiful, confident, and happy each day.
2. Your personality: Pick the one trait you value most about yourself and use it to discover your passions. Look for activities and on-campus organizations that will let you employ your best quality. Do you love how kind you are? Perhaps joining a volunteer organization will be your calling. Are you great at interacting with children? Try getting a job at a day care center or assisting an elementary school teacher. Do you appreciate your deep spiritual connection? Become a leader in a campus religious group.
3. Your talents: Think about what you are most talented at and try activities that challenge that skill. Have you always been a talented singer, but never had the courage to audition for the school musical? Do you love running but have always been hesitant to sign up for a marathon? Have you always loved writing, but never considered getting your work published? Push your talents to the next level and see them flourish beyond belief.
Don’t let 2012 end with a long list of unfulfilled self-improvement pledges from the year before. By creating a resolution to love yourself and all you have to offer, you are giving yourself the opportunity to be happier and more confident not just this year, but in years to come. Let this be a happy New Year: because even though the year may be new, you are the same.