Step away and go find a mirror -

Stand or sit in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eyes, and have an actual conversation with the person staring back at you.

Not the person everyone thinks you are. Not the person you feel you're supposed to be. You.

​

Think about what you've been through. The good, the bad, the things you're proud of, and the things you'd probably rather forget.

​

Ask yourself:

​

• What has happened in my life that's brought me to where I am today?

​

• How am I really feeling at this very moment? Not how I tell everyone I'm feeling.

​

• What am I proud of myself for, even if nobody else knows about it?

​

• What am I still carrying that's hurting me or holding me back?

​

• Have I been fair to myself? Have I been honest with myself?

​

• What do I want more of in my life? And what am I ready to do differently?

​

You don't need to answer everything today. You might cry. You might laugh. You might get angry. Or you might just stand there thinking this whole exercise is a little ridiculous. That's okay, too.

​

But give yourself a few minutes. Really look at the person in that mirror. Think about everything she's experienced, everything she's survived, the mistakes she's made, the things she's accomplished, and the life she's still figuring out.

​

And before you walk away, there's one more thing I want you to do.

Look yourself straight in the eyes and say, out loud:

​

"I love you. You are worthy."

​

Yes, I know. It might sound a little fou-fou. Say it anyway.

​

You may believe it. You may struggle to get the words out. You may not believe a single word of it yet.

​

But you deserve to hear those words from yourself, too.

And if you need to come back to that mirror tomorrow, next week, or a hundred times after that? Do it.

​

That's where we start. With the person looking back at you.