September 2, 2021

Hello, readers! Thank you for
giving your time to read this
article of mine! ❤️

We often hear the phrase: "In order to truly love others, you must first learn how to love yourself", because how can you give love to others if you don't even know how to love yourself, right? And if you don't give love to yourself, you won't be able to give others the chance to love you as well.

We are honestly more focused on achievements and accomplishments that we and the people around us achieve, which oftentimes leads us to compare ourselves to others and a desire to do more and be above those achievements in life, without noticing that we've become our own critics, focusing on our mistakes and failures and end up being disappointed to ourselves on why we didn't do better than that than focusing more on our accomplishments.

I once questioned myself on why I am not as talented as the people around me? My sister knows how to sing, my brother knows how to dance, my cousins are good with musical instruments, my friends are good with these and those, why can't I be the same as them? I often criticized myself in front of the mirror for not having any talent to show in family gatherings and barkada outings.

I once criticized myself for not being as pretty as the others. In an event where many people were invited, I was often left out and unnoticed and I don't know why. Maybe because I wasn't as attractive and as friendly as the other guests on the event.

I once criticized myself for the imperfections I possess, and the things I don't have that the other people have. Yes! I was a self-conscious person with many self-criticism and insecurities in life.

But those self-criticisms led me to self-love that I have for myself today.

I wasn't given the voice to sing (though I sing inside the bathroom haha) because I will be given the chance to voice out or speak in front of audiences with inspirational message and stories.

I wasn't given the moves to gracefully and perfectly dance because I was given the moves to help and serve others.

I wasn't given the chance to play musical instruments because I'll be playing a role more than that.

And I wasn't given the chance to be noticed in the past because I can have my perfect time for that.

I don't sing and dance well, I don't play musical instruments, I don't have any talent in music because I have talent in other areas -- and that's where I am today, in public service.

That's also the reason why I decided to take Nursing as my degree and not Teacher Education, because I believe I don't have to sing and dance while on duty (or not? 🤣).

Closing Thoughts

We don't have to be good in everything because we got something we are good at. Use your self-criticisms in the past to give the love you deserve today and in the future. It's just normal to be insecure of something but don't stay insecure forever, you have something between those lines of insecurities.

And for us to truly love ourselves, we should reduce the self-criticism we often have in mind and accept every failures and imperfections we have. Though self-criticism is good because it motivates us more to achieve something bigger, but we should stop it if it stops us in giving ourselves the love we deserve! ❤️

Thank you for reading! ❤️