I love myself.
I always have, frankly.
When I was in college, it was pretty much unadulterated arrogance. I really thought I was hot stuff. Funny thing is, it was the 80’s. Was there really anyone ‘hot’ in the 80s? Really, think about it.
But five kids, 400 thousand million pounds of personal possessions to manage, and almost 20 years has really beaten every spare ounce of arrogance out of me.
Now, I think I’m getting to the good stuff.
I’ve come to love myself because of those darned young women.
When I was a Young Woman, we memorized some scripture every year, and that was our theme. The theme the girls say wasn’t invented yet (or maybe the mail was just really slow in Boondoggle-middle-of-freaking-nowhere, Michigan). Either way, I didn’t recite what the girls today recite. So, when I heard it some years later, I realized something big.
I mean really big.
I was a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loved me. I had a Divine Nature. No wonder I was so sweet on myself! I was royalty! At the very least, it certainly explained my wild love affair with myself. I figured it out. My one talent. I knew I was divine. I’ve always known. Somehow, amidst all my other mistakes, I have always really, really, known that I was a daughter of God. How else could you explain my giddy fondness for myself? It certainly wasn’t my thighs, I’ll tell you that right now.
And I think I must say, ladies, couldn’t we all use a little fling with ourselves? Wouldn’t you, at this very moment, like a big hug, a large chocolate bar, and someone to tell you what a great job you’re doing?
Well, go ahead. You’ve got permission. The Lord loves you. You have a divine destiny. I think that deserves some chocolate (although, you really should make it extra dark — you know, antioxidants).
And didn’t elder Holland tell us last Conference to speak kindly to ourselves? And doesn’t D&C 121:45 talk about being confident in ourselves and in the Lord?
So friends, let’s give ourselves a nice shot in the arm. Sit up in that chair you’re sitting in — SIT TALL! Raise up those shoulders. Slap a smile on that darling face of yours and repeat after me.
I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I love him.
I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I love him.
I HAVE WORTH. (say it… don’t just sit there and look at me like that, SAY IT!)
I have worth.
I have worth.
I have worth.
Yes, yes, you do.
i have worth! i have worth! i have worth! (i’m totally enjoying this!)
and now feeling less guilty for all the oreos i just ate– i deserved them dagnabit!
I don’t know I think blogging takes a whole lot of arrogance.
Fantastic! I remember in college I used to think if I married somebody just like me, we’d have great times together. And of course, I AM my favorite subject.
I like the spiritual bent to this, Justine. A great reminder (don’t we all need this reminder sometimes?)and it was all very fun to read.
I remember the young women scripture-theme time, too. What a great theme we have now!
LAGirrrl, honey, maybe you’re right. I can still be pretty arrogant. But I think bloggers need thick skin more than anything else…
Thanks, Wendy, and Brooke, you put those Oreo’s on your Corn Flakes, ya’hear?
This is good Justine. Maybe at the start of each day I need to recite the Young Women’s theme instead of buckling under the weight of all my inefficiencies.
You’ve convinced me to go and have ice cream for breakfast
What a great post… sometimes we all need that reminder. I AM of worth.
[...] was reading a blog yesterday, and it was about this very topic. It really hit home to me that I’m on the right [...]
Thank you for this reminder!
I was released a few months ago from YW after 4.5 years. I loved it — for so many reasons, but especially because of the YW themselves. I think another reason why I enjoyed it so much was being able to repeat the theme every week. I spent most of my youth being very self-critical and having low self-esteem. I love reaffirming that I am a daughter of God, He loves me, I love Him, and I HAVE WORTH!
Thank you for this post. We all need to hear it and believe it about ourselves. Not just “we are daughters of God; He loves us; we have worth” but “_I_ am a daughter of God; He loves _me_; _I_ have worth.”
Rather than “arrogant” I prefer to think of bloggers as “wonderfully open” human beings. I will miss my little forays “inside Justine’s Mind”.
Glad I can be spreading love and chocolate around.
And thanks texasgal for your kind words. I’ll still be spilling the contents of my head here at Segullah…