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One Simple Key To Finally Loving Yourself

June 19, 2017

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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

thisismyself.ca

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.

How do you love yourself?  Interview countless individuals on self-love and you're sure to find the answer.  Guest Post by Naomi of This is My Self Blog.



Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

8 Comments
Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: guest post, Saskatchewan bloggers, self care, Self love, self-acceptance, self-esteem, This is My Self

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Rachel H says

    June 19, 2017 at 7:24 am

    This is such an important thing that I feel like every single woman needs to hear. Thank you so much for sharing!
    Reply
  2. Renee says

    June 19, 2017 at 7:27 am

    Wow, I love this post...yes, we all need to be encouraged...and I'm especially delighted you are figuring the out so young....we are always too hard on ourselves...when I would never be as hear on anyone else...need to take our own advice....good post!
    Reply
  3. Nadalie says

    June 19, 2017 at 8:11 am

    Hey Kristen, It's sooo true, we all struggle with this. But what I love about that similar story so many of us share, is that we usually hit and age where we finally just own who were are. Love the perfect and the imperfect. For me, my self-love journey was so tied to embracing my natural insanely curly hair (even before it was "in style"). Learning to love how it was, helped me love everything else about myself. Thanks for the encouragement, Nadalie, It’s All You Boo 26 Inspiring Self-Love Quotes
    Reply
  4. Sarah Althouse says

    June 19, 2017 at 8:56 am

    HI Kristen - I love this. No matter what size, shape or color we are all hard on ourselves. Instead we need to learn to focus on what makes us different or that we like. My goal this year is to focus on others more and myself less so I don't even worry as much about my body or what I look like!
    Reply
  5. Megan says

    June 19, 2017 at 12:55 pm

    That's so true! It's not about saying I'm perfect and can't improve at all butblearning to love the process and who I am right NOW. Thank you for the reminder!
    Reply
  6. Mary Leigh says

    June 19, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    This is such a beautiful post! I agree that we should share our stories - I think it's easy to forget that there is real value to sharing your story! Body image can be such a hard thing for everyone! I try to stay healthy and focus on being strong - then I worry less about what I look like.
    Reply
  7. Amy | Confessions of a Daydreamer says

    June 19, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    This is so important! Everyone needs to know they're not alone and that there's a place they can be themselves and not be judged. Thank you for being so open!
    Reply
  8. Zei says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    Wonderful post!
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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