#authenticselfcare

I'm late with this different #transformationtuesday but bear with me. This is important. I usually share #beforeandafter shots that illustrate my weight loss since it is so dramatic. But you know what else is dramatic? How my self-portraits have evolved from reflecting my self-hatred, low #selfesteem, and desire to hurt myself to #selflove, #selfrespect, and a genuine desire to practice authentic #selfcare and nurture good health. The imposed image is just one example of hundreds I took in my late teens/early 20's. I wanted to have images that reflected just how fucking miserable I was inside and how awful I thought I was. Undeserving of happiness. Safety. Love. Unable to even accept love from others and definitely not from myself. I never would have been able to lose the weight, drop the prescriptions, and put the effort into taking care of myself with a diet that agreed with my body (in my case #paleo) if I hadn't first softened my heart to accept love; first from the man that would become my husband, then taking baby steps towards learning to love myself. And learning to act in ways that cultivated health, wellness, and happiness rather than actively harming myself. Are your daily actions and choices coming from a place of self-love? Even 10 years into my own self-love journey I still catch myself sometimes acting out of contempt for myself or my situation. But I am finally ready to stop. More thoughts in my most recent blog post, link in profile! https://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/finding-self-love-through-authentic-self-care #authenticselfcare #eatingdisorderrecovery #selfharmrecovery #beyondaip #autoimmunedisease (at Memphis, Tennessee)