Last updated on October 4, 2019
This post is written by Ezra Calado, a DCCCD student blogger and Richland student.
In the midst of #bikinibod and #summerbod hashtags and all of the body positivity, there is always the half-conscious nuance in the back of our minds that calls us to recognize our flaws. And then boom, a self-love session can quickly turn into pity parties and insecurity sessions. While this all comes in lots of different forms, it’s not easy to just lecture yourself to stop thinking that way. It’s inevitable, it’s human nature. So how do we address that?
… I have no idea. I still struggle with it myself.
I write this post to say, take advantage of the days that you love yourself (which should be every day, in a perfect world) and days where, as Beyonce would say, you’re “feeling yourself.” Days where you don’t have to use that contour Snapchat filter, days where you just want to smile at people because you feel good. And on those days, buy flowers for yourself.
Every month, I try and make it a point to buy flowers for myself. During peony season, the best season, I’ll buy flowers more often. Not only are fresh flowers extremely beautiful and uplifting, they make you feel beautiful. They’re great to wake up to, they add color to your home, and then it makes for a GREAT Instagram post.
I once came home with flowers in my hand and my dad asks me “who got you those?” and I proudly said, “I bought them… BECAUSE I LOVE MYSELF.” He laughed, of course. No shame or judgement here, we can’t just depend on others to give us floral affection! Now I’ll admit, it is nice to receive flowers from others (significant or not), but why shouldn’t we turn it around and return the favor to ourselves? Aren’t we as significant to ourselves as others are to us/vice versa? Love yourself. Make time for yourself. How did I survive my two years of college drowning in leadership, work, and student life? I bought myself flowers. And I made appointments with myself. Whether it was the 15 minutes or an hour, I made it a point to give myself “me” time. While most of it was spent writing to-do lists and getting my life together, it was still a time that I could isolate my thoughts so I could collect myself. And of course, I bought myself flowers.
So when you’re feeling yourself, go buy flowers. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, go buy flowers. Feeling anything, go buy flowers. Or go pick some off your neighbor’s yard! Trim them, put them in water, watch them bloom, and watch that whole procedure become a metaphor of your life. Or just use them to add to your Instagram aesthetic. Your call.
Cheers!
Ezra
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