Day 19/31 of Self Love

Read this post for an explanation!

My Definition of Self Love - Learning not to hate yourself; being okay with past mistakes, but not repeating them; refusing to use current failures as fuel for self-hate and instead using them as opportunities to improve; and reminding yourself, "You are loved, you are valuable, and you are God's child."

As a Christian, particularly one who believes that things will get worse and worse before they ever get better, the idea of "making the world a better place" can seem ridiculously optimistic. It's easy to see so much pain, suffering, and wrong in the world and think that there is no way that God can use me to make a difference. But even if I cannot impact an entire planet, I can impact the lives of those I interact with.

• I make a difference in the world when I love people by listening to their problems, offering a shoulder to cry on, and giving hugs when needed. I am all about building relationships, and the first step is often establishing trust by showing that I really do mean it when I say, "I'm here for you," "Text me if you need anything" or, "Is there any way I can help?" Loving people is about not only offering these things, but being prepared to follow up and do them.

• I try and think about the future when interacted with people - at the moment, this happens most often when training someone at work. I try and think about ways to equip this person for the future, not just for the present. How can I build them up and teach them skills that will help them grow as a person and not just as a coworker? How can I set them up for success not only at this job, but at the next job, at college, at home, etc.? I'm not joking when I call the kids I train my babies. I know I'm not responsible for their future or their choices, but I can still be a good influence and teach what I've learned.

•  Writing fiction is my first love, and even though I haven't had much time for novel crafting lately, I still plan to one day finish my books and change the world through stories.

•  After my first few months working in customer service, I quickly realized that most people are jerks, even if they don't mean to be. Honestly, unless you've worked in the service industry, you've probably never thought about how your words, tone, and actions can affect the person scanning your purchases, assembling your burrito, stocking shelves, or cleaning your table. The best thing that I, personally, can do - besides urging others to be kind - is to be kind myself. Sometimes I forget, but I always try and greet the person helping me with a smile and a friendly, "How are you?" Then I actually listen to their answer and respond accordingly.

•  I know not many people read this blog, but I hope that the ones who do are encouraged and uplifted. Even when I started blogging years ago, the number of "followers" never really interested me. What I treasured most were comments, even if they were short - proof that my writing really had helped someone. I hope that as I share my personal answers to each of these challenges (and J shares his thoughts as well) that you are inspired to continue accepting and loving yourself.