Love, You.

In the run up to Valentine’s day, this guest article is by HELLO! magazine blogger and mum – Jessica Rose Knowles.

My wardrobe mirror is a constant blur of kiss marks and smudges where my gorgeous boy admires himself on a daily basis.

He plays, talks to and eventually kisses himself before tottering off laughing. Showing him a photograph of himself will always produce a beam. He is fascinated by his hands and feet, is almost as obsessed with his curly hair as everyone else is, and finds himself hilarious. In short he loves himself.

Babies’ total and utter love for themselves is undeniable, but as we grow we are told that we are different, we are made to feel strange in our own skin, we are bombarded by media messages that we don’t understand and can’t relate to. We attribute self worth to how we are perceived physically or what we own. Somewhere along the line we go from loving ourselves to not even liking ourselves. We feel uncomfortable in the body that used to fascinate us, we find cosmetic faults instead of focusing on our health and we doubt ourselves as people. We doubt what we are worth, whether people would like us if we didn’t look a certain way – even how we live our lives. We are given conflicting messages about what we should eat, how we should dress and even how to choose our social group. There is an opinion for every aspect of our lives but few opinions that say, you’re great, don’t change a bloody thing – because that doesn’t make anyone any money.

If we liked ourselves just as we are, think how many industries would go out of business. We have created a society that doesn’t want us to be happy. We shame confident people – naming them arrogant, we pick beautiful women apart from their hair to their pedicure. Next time you finish reading a glossy magazine and feel like you need to shop, lose weight or buy new makeup – they’ve won. Someone has done their job very well.

The truth is we’re wonderful; our bodies are fascinating and our faces are unique and deep down, we know that.

That baby that kissed itself in the mirror, that laughed at it’s belly button that marvelled at it’s own first step – that’s you. You are still amazing, astounding and interesting and you know what, it’s ok to like yourself but it’s better to love yourself.