Hey there friends! Today Naomi Zurevinski is here to talk about self-love and the experiences that lead her to start her blog, This is My Self. Naomi started out as a student of mine in Newman Sounds Glee Club, and now I consider her a fellow blogger and friend. Read on for her wise words!
I spent most of my adolescent life focused on my body, my weight, and everything I ate. I was a very restrictive vegan, always trying out the latest “cleanse” that would promote weight loss, and obsessively spent hours at the gym.
Although I know my story is important, I know I am not alone.
An Epiphany: Everyone Struggles with their Body
Coming out of disordered eating and through speaking to other people in my life, I began to realize more and more that everyone struggles with their body on some level, to the point where it seems like this battle is the norm. It’s unusual to hear someone say that they are completely happy with themselves, or that they really love their tummy and butt.
Simply put, this sucks.
As I reflected more and more on the time and energy I wasted on trying to get my body to look a certain way, I realized that part of the problem is that there are limited spaces for people to reach out to if they are feeling self-conscious or struggling to accept who they are.
We just don’t talk about these things, and try to push self-deprecating thoughts from our minds rather than dealing with them head on — but they always have a way of creeping back.
We Need to Share Our Stories
It was from this realization that This is My Self was born, and as I began to reach out to people who might want to share their own stories of self-love and self-acceptance, I began to find out some really amazing things.
Everyone who I have worked with has a unique story to share, but the common thread is this: despite personal flaws, obstacles they have experienced, and struggles with mental and/or physical well-being, they have chosen self-love.
That’s the key — the people I’ve interviewed don’t love themselves because they think they are perfect or because they have it all together. Instead, they are choosing to love who they are right now, and to love the process of learning, growing, and changing as a person.
Related: The Week I took Care of Myself
Why My Relationship With Food is Driving Me Crazy
This is such an important message, because it means that to have self-love doesn’t mean you need to attain perfection, or have achieved a social level of “success.” It means that you are worthy of self-love, just as you are, and this is something you choose to believe again and again, as an ongoing process throughout your life.
The stories on This is My Self have so much hope, resilience, and positivity. It has been such a joy hearing and writing them, and I hope they will change how we see and feel about ourselves — one story at a time.
Naomi 🙂
This is My Self
FB: This is My Self
Instagram: @thisismyselfblog
Would you like to share your story? (I did, and it was a wonderful experience!) Contact Naomi at This is My Self Blog.
