Through the first half of this year, every Sunday has revolved around one of the self-love messages I originally posted in the 30 Days of Self Love Movement from last September. This post was my favorite to write in this series because it embodied everything we discussed. I still hold these hopes for all of you today…as well as myself. Let us continue to grow in our strengths, deepen our love for ourselves, and further believe in our worth. Thank you for being a part of FFF and helping me do all of those on a daily basis.

I long for us all to fully believe we hold so much value, so we may go out and live our lives with the beauty that unmistakably defines us. You are worthy because:

Your body does miraculous things. It carries you through life and gives you the physical capacity to do many things you love. It provides health and vitality to enjoy all life has to offer. Your body is pretty freaking awesome!! Never forget the gifts of your body.

  
image from my Exposed Movement post

Remember that those body parts which share so many gifts are also gorgeous as well. Even if they don’t fit in with the standards of society, they are still beautiful. Our unique physical attributes make us lovely.

Even more beautiful than all of that, however, is what makes up who we are. None of us are perfect, but all of us are wonderful. We each have our own strengths which can help uplift others. We each have our own passions, which can make life more exciting.We each have something to offer the world.

[source]

I pray you strive to drain every drop of sweetness from life. You deserve it.  Always remember to see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe you have the strength and will to reach it. Take joy in every day because you have the power to find it and claim it for your own. Don’t let trivial matters of numbers and physical appearance define you. Refuse to lose your life in a search for control, a denial of forgiveness, or fear to try new challenges. Live so you may love yourself. And then love yourself more, so you may live more. That is my wish for you. To let it really sink in, listen to this song if you can. It’s how I feel for each of you.

Love, Tina

On Sundays, I love to open discussion on topics relating to building love for ourselves and recognizing our worth. Over the past few months I have done this by re-posting one of the posts from the 30 Days of Self-Love series. I will have reposted all of these topics after next week and am now looking for another way to fill Sunday afternoons with positivity. To do so – I have decided to feature a different blogger or reader each week. I’m looking for contributors that will share a post on a “victory” or “strength” or “self-love moment”. This idea stemmed from the Strengths Out Loud series, so I’m looking for brief posts & stories similar to that. Email me if interested and I will start a list. Let’s share more of the awesome worth we all have to give and continue to motivate and inspire one another! Now, for today’s topic – PASSION!

Over the years, as I grew to love myself more, I gained more insight into all life has to offer. I finally had the chance to experience life when I cared less about how much I weighed, how many calories I ate, or how I looked in the mirror. Moving my attention and focus from such trivial matters opened new doors for me. I had more mental (and physical) energy to pursue more fulfilling areas of my life. Those ignited strong passions within me and now my life would feel empty without them. I have three great passions that provide me with so much – strength, purpose, love, confidence, opportunity for growth, and more. These passions continually make me a better person and allow me the opportunity to love my life and myself.

Living My Life for God
For me, this is truly what life is all about. I feel I cannot do wrong if I have God at the center. Living my life for Him feels like opening a most special present every single day. I know great things await me because I can trust in Him. It helps me be more compassionate to all I come across and sharing kindness fills me up with joy. He gives me the example and capacity to love others and love myself. He opens my eyes to the many blessings in my life, so I can appreciate them. Knowing that He values me helps me value myself. He ignites me to live, which is something I didn’t want to bother with before knowing Him.

My Family
Peter, Makenzie, and Braedon mean the world to me. I want to do all I can to support them and love them. Each day I work hard to care for them and ensure they know exactly how much better they make my world. I hope to support my husband every way he needs and encourage him as he encourages me. I strive for Makenzie (and soon Braedon) to grow in an uplifting environment and to truly know their worth.

[photographer]

This Blog
This blog serves as a place to share all my passions, including the big two I mentioned above. I adore all that goes into healthy living and cannot get enough of it – workouts, nutrition, self-love . Finding a community that enables me to share all I love and supports me in the process is, simply put, empowering. It has helped me grow and continues to push me to discover new interests. I never knew how much I adored writing. I never anticipated this blog would become such an ingrained part of my whole. I wish to never stop because I sincerely love it that much. That may sound cheesy, but I would be lying if I didn’t include it in my top three. Thank you for helping me to continue something I love so much.

Having these passions in my life gives me meaning. These passions remind me of just how wonderful I am. I don’t mean that to sound conceited. God could do just fine without me. If Peter had never met me, I’m sure someone else could support him and love him just as much as I do. I certainly do not hold the belief that the blog world would lack something if I were not involved. I simply hope to express that finding passions gives me vitality and makes me appreciate myself more than imaginable.

If you do not know them already, I urge you to find your passions. Try out many new things until you come across them. Consider what excites you and chase after it. Find something that ignites you. Make life more than just going through the motions.Embrace life with excitement and let your passions guide you.

What things are you most passionate about? How do they affect your life? If you aren’t sure on a passion, what makes you happiest right now?