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Health and Wellness

You Can Love Yourself And Still Want To Improve

Continue striving to be the best version of yourself.

Kelsey Radigan

Jan 09, 2018

Marist College

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You Can Love Yourself And Still Want To Improve

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We have reached the age of absolute self-love, where everyone is encouraged to be confident and love the skin they’re in—and it’s amazing.

However, with all this talk about body positivity and loving yourself for who you are right now, there is a sort of pressure not to change. If you’re watching what you eat so you can get rid of that holiday weight, some people may bombard you with judgments like, “Why are you restricting yourself? Don’t you love yourself?”

It’s important to remember that part of loving yourself is being able to grow and improve. The difference between improving so you can accept yourself, and improving so you’re always the best version of yourself, comes in how you approach those improvements.

Instead of looking at yourself and thinking, “I’d be so much happier if I lost 20 pounds,” think, “I am happy with myself right now, but I am going to continue being healthier.” Being happy and accepting yourself are the best things that you can do for yourself.

Having a positive effect on others is good for you, too. You might find that some things you do are negatively affecting others. Maybe you were too brutally honest when your friend asked if that dress looked good on her.

Instead of being stubborn and convincing yourself that you’re always right and you shouldn’t change, try finding small ways to better yourself. You can keep your honest qualities that you’ve grown to love, while also being kind and helping your friend find something more flattering.

Coming to terms with your actions and working to affect people positively is in turn reflecting how you love yourself. That’s putting peace and love back into your life, while staying true to yourself.

There’s nothing wrong with striving to do greater, and that’s so much easier to do when you’re there to support yourself. Loving yourself is important. Don't forget that you are going to have so many more experiences throughout your lifetime, meet tons of new people, and change your mind about a bunch of things—so don’t limit yourself to who you are now.

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You Can Love Yourself And Still Want To Improve

Continue striving to be the best version of yourself.

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The struggles of having an RBF are all too real

1. People asking if you're mad at them.

2. Those people who hand out flyers don't always try to stop you.

3. Creepy guys telling you to smile.

4. "I thought you were a bitch when I first met you."

5. People telling you you'd be "so much prettier if you smiled."

6. Doing your makeup and looking great, which somehow intensifies the bitch face.

7. Regularly explaining "it's just my face."

We all go through certain stages when we have a crush, Tina just explains it better.

That moment that someone you never looked twice at suddenly makes you do a double take out of no where.

But you can't have a crush, that's outrageous. It's all in your head.

Because you don't have a crush, there's no reason to tell anyone about anything. Right?

But then they do something irresistible and you start to lose it.

Now accepting the fact you have a crush, you have to keep it under control.

Then there's the part where you tell your friends who will claim they called it.

They'll be excited and cheer you on. That's until they realize that your crush is all you'll be talking about.

Your obsession has become so bad, that your Facebook stalking is getting out of control.

But your friends will try and help move things along any way they can. That doesn't mean it will be any helpful though.

As time goes on, you start having fantasies about the two of you and it's starting to scare you a little.

You can't focus on anything because all your attention is on them and everything they do.

Anybody who comes near your crush is now an enemy, and you are willing to fight for your crush.

When you see them, you act like an idiot. Trying to hide your feelings may not be as discrete as you think.

Keeping your feelings inside will start to be harder and harder until you can't keep it inside anymore.

Who knows, maybe it will work out? Take a chance.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

What about those of us who don't do it all in four years?

1. You feel like an elder.

2. You may feel lonely.

3. Senioritis is more real than ever.

4. You may feel a little down sometimes.

5. Fear of missing out won't be as real.

6. You are a college pro.

7. You'll have more free time.

8. You're happy you're still in school.

9. You feel like a guru.

10. You continue to grow.

You can't say that no one told you life was gonna be this way.

1. When dealing with people is too difficult.

2. When food is the best part of your day.

...you can't ever say no to it

3. When you meet new people.

4. When you're the third wheel.

5. When life is tough but you're trying to hold it together.

6. When you're the brunt of a joke.

7. When you're too broke for food.

8. When your judgment could be better.

9. When you're not great at socializing.

10. When honesty is the best policy.

11. When you accept your flaws.

12. When work is not going well.

13. When you skip the gym.

14. When you over think.

15. When you swipe right.

16. When you get a crush.

17. When no major life event is happening

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