This is not a typical post, or even a typical topic. I’ve been doing a lot of work on ME lately, self-help work. I wanted to share some things about what I love about myself. I assure you, I am not self absorbed at all.
Most people, women in general, have so many negative thoughts, words, and self-talk about themselves. We are constantly putting down how we look, what we should have done differently, what we didn’t do right, how we could be better. The list never ends.
I’m more guilty of these things than I would like to think. And right now I’m changing all of that.
Sister and I on a hike (she's hiding behind me)
Over the past few weeks I’ve been really searching for my own voice, my own self-reliance and security. I’ve happily found a lot of it. I’ve been building up my self-esteem and my own self-worth. I’m, at least at the moment, at a place where I truly love who I am. Yes, there are good days, not so good days, and more wonderful days, but overall, I’m proud of myself and all that I can do and have accomplished.
There’s not enough self-love in the world and there certainly isn’t enough of us praising ourselves without feeling weird about it. It’s not typically the norm to say such positive things about you. So I say, screw the norm.
What I love about me:
- I’m incredibly driven.
- I make things happen. If I want to run a marathon, well then I run that damn marathon. I love having a project to work towards and that keeps me motivated. I love the feel of accomplishing things, which again, keeps me driven towards a “reward”. I wanted to be a personal trainer, now am I one. I have more confidence with each new step I take.
- I make things happen. If I want to run a marathon, well then I run that damn marathon. I love having a project to work towards and that keeps me motivated. I love the feel of accomplishing things, which again, keeps me driven towards a “reward”. I wanted to be a personal trainer, now am I one. I have more confidence with each new step I take.
- I’m beautiful
- I am. I know I’m pretty on the inside and the outside. I’m caring. I love helping others. That makes me beautiful no matter what my outside appearance is.
- I’m blessed
- I have a wonderful, loving, caring, encouraging family. I know I am lucky to have them in my life and that they love me no matter what.
- I’m strong
- Physically and mentally. This is my favorite thing(s) about myself. I lift weights and feel incredibly powerful when I do. I can take criticism, more than ever now. I believe in myself and that takes strength.
Strong. My CrossFit days 
There will always be those bad hair days with days I feel like crap. Days I don’t/won’t want to get out of my pajamas or talk to anyone or do anything. There will always be another rainy day somewhere. Through all of that, there will always be a ray of sun shining down, waiting to be basked in. And I’ll find that ray.
There. That’s what I love about me.
I’m the only me there is and I’m happy about that.
What do YOU love about YOU?
What is your motto for living life? How do you follow this motto?
How can you nurture yourself today?
Hi everyone, I'm Lori and this is my blog
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this post, Lori! I’m working on one very similar to this, a whole series about positive affirmations and why they’re so important! I like that you’ve created a list of all of the things you love about yourself. That’s not self absorbed AT ALL!
Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit´s last [type] ..Blueberry Banana Cake Bars
Uhh holy moly. I think I might frame that picture of you with the tire and put it up on my wall. My hubby might be against it, but who cares. You look like a rockstar!!
Love that you are loving yourself!! It is so important to focus on the positive instead of dwelling on the negative. After all, the negative just SLOWS US DOWN. The positive drives us to KEEP GOING!!
Lori!! I loved this! It is so refreshing to read something like this. Truthfully, YOU made me feel beautiful last week! You did! You exude confidence and I can tell that you are comfortable in your own skin. That rubs off on people and I found myself noticing my good points and feeling more confident too. Just by being around you! It was a good feeling and one I hope I don’t lose anytime soon.
My favorite motto is progress not perfection. I tend to kind of be a perfectionist and the problem with always striving to be perfect is that I am failing 100% of the time. Perfection is impossible and that has taken me a long time to realize and accept.
Kelly´s last [type] ..and i survived
I. Love. This. POST!!
You are SUCH a beautiful person, inside and out…a talented cook, SUPER strong, caring, SMART, driven, and you just have that quality — you know when you meet someone who is truly just enlightened? A gentle, wise, “old soul” type of person? You ARE that person.
Sable@SquatLikeALady´s last [type] ..Diet Plan- Food Diary- and Goals
I love you. THANK YOU.
You’re too sweet!!!
I agree with Sable
I love that tire pic!
Girl, you are so beautiful inside and out! I think its important to be able to sit down and identify all the things you love about yourself! It’s a very empowering exercise! (that tire pic is pretty stinking awesome btw
).
I really love my heart and compassion, and my ability to relate to so many different people.
You are such a great person, I really enjoy your blog!
salah@myhealthiestlifestyle´s last [type] ..The Plan
Thank you!!!!
Great post!
Hnmm, I love that I’m intelligent and also very driven. I love my love for animals and nurturing ability.
I love that I refuse to become one of the many.
Hey Lady!! I love, love this post. I’m really working on myself too and trying to Love ME!
You are such a beautiful person inside and out and I’m so happy to see you growing:)
PS love your Arizona picts..what a blast:)
My new motto is never,ever give up…on anything! I’ve lived in “fear” of a lot of things for too long and it’s time I break through it and prove to myself I can do anything I want in life.
I nurture myself today by giving myself lots of positive thoughts and encouragment to get out there and live life like I mean it:)
Melissa´s last [type] ..For just a little while
Melissa, this is a wonderful comment! Love your motto!
love this post lori! this is so great. i’m working on self-love too, which is way more difficult than it sounds, especially at the deeper, non-narcissistic level. i think narcissism is a very surface thing – so that’s completely different. i think it’s possible to be narcissistic and not to truly love yourself, so differentiating between the two is important. i’m really grateful for this post =)
Natalie @ cinnamon bums´s last [type] ..WIAW- New York Edition Day 2 Recap
i love your strength and determination and of course…your heart. Wish you’d come to austin to visit.
Lindsay Cotter´s last [type] ..Blessings and Bites
Oh I’m already coming to Austin! For sure! Just need to figure out when!
I want to go to Austin too!! maybe we can go together
thank you for this post! sometimes we focus so much on self-improvement, we forget about all the stuff we’ve already got going for us! what a great reminder!
i’ve got the maturity of an 11 year old boy … and the chest! 
what i love about me: my ability to think outside of the box. i’m an idea-person. also, my ability to amaze people w/ my potty mouth and raunchy sense of humor!
tea-bag´s last [type] ..Raspberry Protein Puff
I have a few mottoes for living, but I think the best piece of advice I’ve ever received was this: “Just keep putting good out into the world, no matter what, and good will come back…if not right away, then eventually. But it always comes.”
This is basically “karma” but I’ll never forget the moment I was told this (actually quite comically) by a woman whose kids I babysat for in college. She came home late one night after a party and kept my friend and I (co-babysitting was the way to go) an extra hour, and in the midst of her rambling about life, she told us that…and I’ve come to believe it to be 100% true!
[Also, I agree with Lindsay...you need to come to Austin!]
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen´s last [type] ..All Eggs Go To Heaven
This is just awesome Lori!
You should be so proud of yourself–you’re an inspiration and you’re absolutley STUNNING! This post is such a great reminder to love the little things that make you, you 
Some things I like about me: my freckles, my obsession with learning, and my willpower to achieve a goal. My motto for living is probably: take each day one step at a time towards the goals of the future and screw the past because it will never be changed.
Alexandra´s last [type] ..Look! Up in the sky- it’s… SUPERFOODS!
Fantastic post Lori. Every woman should do this at least a couple times a month. I also like that I am strong and driven! Good qualities to have in this life.
Lauren @ WWoB´s last [type] ..Cheeze pleaze
This post makes me smile. That is all.
Go you!
Amber Shea @Almost Vegan´s last [type] ..My Favorite Things- May edition
I love that I am able to find breath in the middle of anxiety, when thoughts crowd in and gang up on me … and that those around me benefit from my ability to find those bits of quiet in my life. It gives me an incredible sense of purpose.
Anne´s last [type] ..Big Basin State Park – Berry Falls Trail
Awesome! There should be more posts like this. I think you rock.
I’ve been working on very similar issues lately, and coming to a much better place within myself. So empowering! I think my major thrusts have been toward changing my self-talk, focusing on the positive and believing that things _are_ possible, rather than feeling like everything’s out of reach.
love
Ela
Ela´s last [type] ..Vega Book Review and Giveaway- Must Have Been Something I Ate by Peggy Kotsopoulos
The best part of this post is that I would have said all these same things about you, but I didn’t have to, which is amazing. I love that you are comfortable and strong enough to not only KNOW these things about yourself, but also to OWN them publicly.
You are my hero.
Katie´s last [type] ..32 and one day old
Gorgeous post written by a gorgeous girl!! I do think that the majority of the time we are too obsessed with putting ourselves down and criticizing every little thing about ourselves. We are all special and unique in our own way. Way to own up to it!!
Jenny (Fit Girl Foodie)´s last [type] ..WIAW Link Party!
You are absolutely gorgeous. Inside and out. <3
Gosh, there are so many things to love about YOU, that I’m surprised the post was that short! I’ll help to overinflate your ego later
I could definitely use some pumping up myself. Hmm, what I like, I’m genuine – like me or not
Alisa Fleming´s last [type] ..Sweet Almond Milkshake Dairy-Free and optionally Sugar-Free!
Love this post. Go you!
My motto is a couple of Bible verses – Be still and know that I am God and O ye of little faith, why did you doubt? Both are things I need to hear/think on often.
Michelle {the lively kitchen}´s last [type] ..Sum-Sum-Summertime
This is awesome =) you ARE beautiful inside and out =) annnd you make me smile so thats a bonus! <3
I love that i'm able to read blogs and not in a stress coma in the corner shaking like I used to be. good stuff <3
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons´s last [type] ..Red Velvet Cupcake Wine
So much I could say, but I’ll just keep it simple: awesome post Lori!
great reminder – self love! I am strong. I am honest. I am a hard worker.
love you Lori! thanks for being wonderful
lori, this is fantastic! i am thrilled you’re settling into such a place of self love. what an amazing accomplishment
zoe (and the beatles)´s last [type] ..i moved!
Beautiful post.
That’s my girl!!! Go, girl, go!
Very well said! When we can learn to be loving toward ourselves, we can stop being so critical of others. I think this is HUGE for women! So much of the catty crap comes from personal insecurity, and it just isn’t necessary. Sometimes I make a rule during runs not to let a single negative thought cross my mind. When they start to seep in (I’m tired, I suck, I’m too slow, what’s wrong with my legs, etc.) I immediately change them to “You’re doing awesome, you’re so strong, you can make it up this hill” etc. It makes a world of difference. I think those of us who are fitness minded are especially hard on ourselves sometimes. It’s the perfectionist in us.
So good for you for putting this out there! It HAS to become okay for us to recognize our beauty and strengths instead of downplaying it.
And because it feels related, I must share this quote that I love (and I’m not at all religious):
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. – Marianne Williamson