Because somehow, the sun rises each day. Emerging from the horizon, brighter and more beautiful than the previous day. You’ll rise from the horizon too. You’ll emerge so bright that the haters will be blinded. And darling, you’ll be the sun then, bright and beautiful.

Wow, it’s definitely been a while! I wanted to address something that y’all may or may not have seen yet.
There’s a photo of myself going viral; this photo actually:

My husband shared it on Reddit (unbeknownst to me), with a caption about how I had framed the photo and gifted it to him for work because it’s the first picture of myself I’ve genuinely loved in a very long time.

There are a lot of shares and comments on that photo. Mostly positive, and some negative. At first, I wanted him to remove the photo because I didn’t want the attention, and I let the negative comments get under my skin. But my husband helped me realize that I have a chance to turn those negatives into positives. I have a chance to spread a message I’ve been trying to share on my blog for the past three years: my long and difficult journey of learning to love myself, and teaching others along the way. If I could just change one person’s perspective of themselves, I will have accomplished what I’ve set out to do.

We are our own biggest critics in life. I grew up comparing myself to every woman I came across, in person and through magazines, books, and movies. I was never thin enough, never tall enough, never smart enough or funny enough. I tried so hard to be someone else. I became depressed, and obsessive, trying to change how I looked. I’d never compare to the women I saw! How many times have you heard that story? Perhaps it’s your own narrative.

The thing is, you ARE enough. You are MORE than enough. You are beautiful; you are intelligent, you are funny, you are joy, you are a gift. Loving yourself is something that takes a lot of time and patience. I’m still at the very beginning of my journey. I have lapses just like anyone else; but I have a great support system of family and friends that help keep me going. I am always willing to listen as well.

Please remember to be kind to yourself during this journey. It’s long, and it’s arduous; but in the end, I promise you, you’ll be grateful you started 💕

body confidence body positivity love love renee hannah love yourself self love journey