Love Yourself.

While most are out and about preparing to shower the ones they love with Godiva chocolate, huge flower bouquets and gifts that sparkle, I have decided to take a slightly different approach with today's post. This month, I'm Fit Possible ambassadors are focusing on self love and what that means to us. Don't get me wrong, I love celebrating the people I love. However, I think that it is incredibly important to love yourself first. I am a firm believer that if you don't love yourself and who you are, you won't be able to fully love another.

Have you ever thought about whether you truly love yourself? Sounds like a ridiculous question, doesn't it? But really...think about it. How are you taking care of you?

Here are 5 ways that I am loving myself first:

1. I run. There are so many reasons why I love running. Running frees me. Running gives me confidence. Running makes me feel like I can take on the world. Most of all, I run because it frees my soul. Running makes me feel whole and it is something that I am passionate about. I run for me. 
2.   I listen to my body. If I feel tired, I take a rest day. If I'm feeling hungry, I fuel my body with healthy foods. I don't limit the foods I eat but I also don't over indulge in foods that could harm my health or make me sick. Most importantly, I am in-tune with how my body functions. Last year I encountered a very scary time in my life. Something didn't feel right, I had a few strange (yet extremely small) red spots on my skin and went to the doctor to get it checked out. After an emergency visit, a blood platelet count of 3,000 (typically about 300,000) and walking down the path of a possible life-threatening disease, I was thankful when my final diagnosis turned out to be something rare, somewhat benign and something that would only need to be monitored (probably for the rest of my life). Had I not listened to my body, I may not be here today.
3. I make time for me, myself & I. Whether it's a shopping trip, going for a long distance run or sitting in a quiet house with a glass of wine and a trashy magazine, I make time for myself. I think that we all need time to unwind. We all need to indulge in activities that make our hearts happy. Focus on what makes your soul sing and do that for you. Make an appointment on your calendar for you.
4. I reflect. I am constantly evaluating my goals and creating new ones. I think about who I am and who I want to be as a person. I evaluate how I can be a better friend, wife, daughter, sister and co-worker to the people I love most. I reflect on the life I live and the home that I have created for my family. I keep a notebook of goals, to-do lists and quick thoughts. I take this time to be thoughtful in all aspects of my life.
5. I don't focus on my flaws. We all have aspects of our body that we aren't so proud of. For example, I've always hated my calves--they're large, muscular and with my small frame, they make me feel so incredibly stubby and not so feminine. However, I no longer look at my calves this way. Self hatred is no way to live your life. I used to have days where I was feeling down on myself and how I look. I no longer do this to myself. I am now able to take a step back and for every part of my body that I'm not a fan of, I say 5 things that I do love about my body. I am able to love my calves because they make me who I am, a runner. They make me strong and support my body as I do something that I absolutely love, everyday. Turning negatives into positives is something that I have learned to adapt in order to love myself a little bit more each day. 

So during this month of love, let's not only love one another, but let's love ourselves as well. 

Loving who you are is about accepting who you are, embracing things that make you feel whole and being happy.

How are you loving yourself?