I Love You Already

I love you already.

Have you ever fallen in love with someone you’ve never met? 

Many moms experience this phenomenon during pregnancy. Your baby starts growing inside of you. You feel waves of emotion. You feel those little feet kicking. Your heart melts. You love your baby before they’re even born. Before you’ve ever seen their face. Before you’ve ever met.

“I love you already.”

Sure, there’s the unknown of what they’re going to look like, their gender (for some), and their personality—but that loving bond between mama and baby is strong from the very beginning.  

Imagine if we could feel this way—not just towards our kids, but towards ourselves? 

Imagine saying, “I love you already” to yourself, and really meaning it.

“I love you already”—even before you’ve accomplished anything on your to-do list for today.

“I love you already”—regardless of what you decide to eat today, whether it’s kale or cake or both.

“I love you already”—regardless of your weight or size or how much cellulite is currently on your thighs.

“I love you already”—whether you make it to that 6 p.m. yoga class tonight, or not. 

“I love you already, always and forever, no matter what.” 

This year, when all of those New Year, New You marketing campaigns flood the airwaves and social media networks, try to talk to yourself like a mama talks to her child: “I love you already.”

There’s no need to strive more. No need to make yourself smaller, tighter, and more svelte. No need to shrink yourself with diets (and other approaches) that are ineffective at best—and harmful at worst. No need to be anyone other than exactly who you are. Just as you are. In all of your lovable-ness. 

If you believed that you loved yourself already, how would your life feel different? What would you do with your time? How would you talk to yourself? Nourish yourself? Move? Work? Play? Rest?

Start with love. The unconditional love of a parent. Love that’s not dependent upon perfection or accomplishment or fitting into a particular clothing size. Love that just…is.

Give this to yourself. As often as you can. 

Love will change your health and your life. 

xoxo,