There is a movement towards self love in the Western world whose influence has increased dramatically over the last five years. The movement has made self-proclaimed fat girls everywhere more confident, people with low self esteem think of themselves more highly, and it has pushed the media to (somewhat) tone down their appearance-driven storm of magazine covers and articles. In France, models are now turned down for jobs if they’re thought to have an eating disorder as a direct result of this movement. Dove and other massive companies have started their own campaigns within this movement, like the "Dove Self Esteem Project."

While it’s clear that there has been some progress, radical self love easily turns into all-consuming selfishness that attains the opposite of what the movement stands for.

Self love is a move towards happiness with who you are and what you have to offer the world, right now. Not who you will be or could be. However, the tables are easily turned when “self” becomes the ONLY thing that you care about. Millennials are often called out for their selfishness and this movement could be to blame. \\

As in most things, it's easy to lose balance when getting behind a movement that moves quickly, especially when there is a clear need for it. It's easy to go overboard. It's easy to say, "I don't need anyone else, I got me" or "I love myself and that's all I need." But it's a lie.

Love yourself, but don’t forget that real life happens when you’re loving someone else.

I mean really loving someone else, sacrificial love. Giving of yourself to other people and to the world for a cause bigger than self. Realizing that this world does not revolve around you and throwing away selfishness. Knowing that if you truly love yourself then you have more love to give the world, not less.

The danger of self love is that it often ends with self love. But if you love yourself then you realize your potential. You know what you have to offer the world and you know that your participation in the bettering of it is vital. And this realization about yourself should lead you to see it in everyone else too.

Self love is for you, and it is about you, but it does not end with you.