You are Loved

It’s that time of the year again. Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and February 14th has sort of lost its lacquer. The stigma of waiting around for a potential date is gradually eroding—and that’s okay. People have taken the last year to turn inwards: grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually. We are finally adopting the practice of self love.

I think social media is one platform robbing users of their self love: deteriorating our personal growth by comparing our lifestyles to unattainable ones. However, I’ve learned to create an uplifting environment for myself virtually and realistically.

My favorite online practice has been following up with Lonely Ghost, a brand that creates merchandise on the foundation of their original motto: “I love you, say it back.” Their Valentine’s collection is printed with puffy fonts and meaningful messages, including “show yourself more love.” The hoodies are symbolic of the confidence their customers will have to outwardly love themselves and the physical representation of an eternal membership in the “self love club,” especially in the month of February. By creating this positive virtual environment, I have been able to connect with brands and users who prioritize and practice self love.

In reality, it’s impossible to uphold any sort of consistency; not every day will be perfect. However, the people I surround myself with and the habits I’ve established have gotten me closer to finding self love off screen. Some of these include positive affirmations whenever I can—or direly need— dedicating time to unplug when I’m with friends and family, and treating myself often—we all deserve it. Magic happens when we log off and decompress from whatever is enticing us back to that phone or tablet.

So, if we continue to love and focus on ourselves we can potentially have a personal Valentine’s Day everyday. Maintaining a sense of self-love daily will be nothing short of a challenge. However, let’s let go of any V-Day cliches and be our own valentines this year!