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Here's what I learned TOTALLY by accident. Personal story sells.

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100 Reasons I Love Myself

February 1, 2012

I love , love, love  Gala Darling.  Her site is all about radical self love.  My favorite among her posts: 100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself Right Now.   In it she says:

Make lists of reasons why you love yourself…
& write down (or keep mental lists) of the compliments other people give you. We’re so quick to believe people when they say nasty, unkind or “brutally honest” (ahem, cruel) things to or about us, & we discard all the times we’re told how amazing, beautiful or intelligent we are. Usually this is because our sense of self-doubt is stronger than our self-love. If you can build up the love side of things, this will begin to change.

I used to focus on my flaws, on all the things I’ve ever done wrong. But I much prefer thinking about all the things I love about myself.  It makes me feel ever so much better. Taking Darla’s suggestion to heart, I developed my own little list, a list of the reasons I love myself. Every day I add to the list.  Here’s what I’ve come up with so far.

  1. Thanks to my Scandinavian heritage, I’ve got fine features and high cheekbones
  2. My  legs are so powerful, I could dropkick an elephant down a flight of stairs
  3. I can read people well enough to know when to shut up, or give them a hug
  4. I can talk to a perfect stranger and find something interesting about them in under 30 seconds
  5. My tenacity
  6. My insatiable desire to learn, to understand
  7. My passion for books
  8. My curiosity
  9. My boldness
  10. My irreverence
  11.  I suddenly get that I can affect the world
  12. My ability to intellectualize when things get tough
  13. My passion and devotion to running, to pushing myself to new physical limits
  14. My ability to empathize, to feel others’ pain
  15. My writing skills
  16. After all of these years thinking I was an idiot in the department, I’ve gotten really good at handling technology
  17. I’ve finally figured out that I’m the help I’ve been looking for
  18. I AM a leader
  19. I’ve got some serious curves
  20. I can go from athlete to hot mama in under 20 minutes
  21. I raised two kids, and neither of them has ended up in prison
  22. I’m an introvert who will never be the life of the party and I’m OK with that
  23. I have the cojones to take off every stitch of clothing at a nude beach
  24. I look pretty damn good for 48
  25. I NEVER get bored
  26. I get more things done before 10 AM than most people get done in a week
  27. I genuinely view women as my allies and wish them beauty, success, and wealth
  28. I’d rather have experiences than things
  29. I make seriously good Iranian, Vietnamese, and vegetarian food
  30. I can speak several languages well enough to get myself in trouble
  31. My sensuous femininity
  32. I can run 33 miles in one go
  33. I enjoy my own company.  I crack myself up
  34. I have zero taste for drama
  35. I’m as predictable as weather
  36. I’m not the least bit flighty.  In fact, I’m smart
  37. I call my mother once a week
  38. I (eventually) forgive those who trespass against me
  39. I can sew anything from curtains to evening gowns
  40. My generous use of commas
  41. My fascination with weird things, like taxidermed squirrels
  42. I want to do, be, and have MORE
  43. I’m a great conversationalist.  No questions about mustard preferences here
  44. I make and keep really great friends
  45. I graduated from Harvard
  46. I’m a good teacher
  47. I can name that personality disorder in under five minutes
  48. I can discuss and sit with really uncomfortable topics like money, sex, and death
  49. I crave adventure
  50. I have a shitload of energy
  51. I’m a great listener
  52. My delicate hands
  53. I make my husband feel like the treasure he is
  54. I can go on a month-long trip with one carry on bag
  55. I have no problem getting up in front of a crowd and speaking
  56. I’m a go to person for wholistic editing
  57. I’m rarely late
  58. I have the makings of a maven
  59. I was blessed with clear skin and straight teeth
  60. Brilliant green eyes
  61. I started not just one new business, but two
  62. My health.  I’m rarely ill
  63. What you see is what you get
  64. I’m remarkably low maintenance
  65. I’m honest.  When you ask me to, I’ll tell you the truth. (And sometimes when you don’t)
  66. I knit a mean scarf
  67. I can traverse a knife-edged ridge, a 3000-ft drop on one side, a 5000-ft drop on the other, and not crap my pants
  68. I’ve reached 3 of the 7-summits, come close to conquering a 4th
  69. I know how to receive, as well as give
  70. Give me 30 minutes notice and I can come up with a dinner for 12
  71. Tell me what’s going on in your life, and I can recommend the PERFECT book
  72. I make shit happen
  73. I don’t watch TV
  74. I’m a CREATOR
  75. I always know what to do (eventually)
  76. My posture
  77. I am by nature uber monogamous
  78. I have no issue wearing flip-flops AND a winter coat
  79. I learned to scuba dive to conquer (or at least mitigate) my fear of sharks
  80. I can sleep comfortably in a tent when it’s -30 F outside
  81. I can talk about my most gruesome mistakes as if they were recipies for chip dip
  82. I have goals, big goals
  83. I’ve begun to dream really big
  84. I’ve started to develop faith
  85. I can make and edit videos, then slap them up on YouTube
  86. I wear sexy underwear
  87. Despite having no filter, I’m very diplomatic
  88. I ask great questions
  89. I flirt with everybody, including the dog
  90. I’m lucky to remember my nutty dreams in the morning
  91. I can make do with very little, but I’m done with settling
  92. I have a chemistry degree, which is an accomplishment for a math hater
  93. My muscular back
  94. I have no problems sleeping.  Ever. Except for airplanes
  95. I’ve never used drugs, except for smoking half a joint at the age of 35
  96. I’ve discovered healthy boundaries
  97. My long, blonde hair
  98. I’m a fiscal conservative and a social liberal
  99. I’m a hugger
  100. You ain’t seen nothing yet

Sweet Jesus.  I had no idea I was this amazing.

What might happen if you started a list of your own?  How would it change your view of yourself?  Start one up.  Send it to me.  I’d love nothing better than to post it.  Why not share your awesomeness with the world.

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