#profoundlyloved (TAG!)

In honour of Valentine's Day and a little thing called self-love, Kate from the goodness revolt started a tag called #profoundlyloved. (at least, I think that's what it's called. It is quite possible that she intended the full name to be "hey you, you are beautiful and awesome and loved like crazy," but I didn't feel like typing all of that out, so I stole her hashtag and shortened it. Hopefully this doesn't violate some secret tag rule, because that would be really sad!!) 

 Buuut anyways! The focus of this tag is how much God loves us, and how much we should be able to (but often don't) love ourselves. I'm going to answer the 6 questions Kate left me, and then I'm going to nominate 10 other people to complete the tag! (or at least, I'm going to try!)

1. tell me about someone you love, and why
I love my mom.
For as long as I can remember, I've loved to write, and as long as I have loved writing, Mom has been my number one supporter / cheerleader / coach. Before I could actually hold a pencil to write my stories down, she acted as my scribe. Mom filled the house with books and understood just how important stories were (and are!) to me. She printed off the novel I wrote for National Novel Writing Month and read the whole 200 pages, making careful penciled notes in the margin so I could edit. When I was in grade 8, she bought me the One Year Adventure Novel writing curriculum, and it changed my life.
It's so hard to reduce who she is and why I love her to a few paragraphs!! I am struggling, friends.
I love her because she has infinite amounts of patience with me, and answers to my million and one questions about life, and love, and people, and school, and what to wear to a job interview, and how to respond to that awkward guy two lockers down, and whether navy and black are acceptable colours to wear together in one outfit. I love her because she understands me the way few people do.
(hi, mum! *waves*)

2. what is one thing you do that makes you feel all like "man, I could do this forever" when you do it?

The first thing that I can think of, immediately, that make me feel this way (depending on my mood)  is writing: when I have an idea, either for a story, or a piece of prose, or a poem, and I sit down to write, and the words just slip and slide and pour out of me, almost-but-not-quite faster than my pen. I get so engrossed in the words inside and out and across the page and in my mind that I am unaware of everything else, even my own breathing. When I raise my head, it's like coming up out of deep water, or being inside a bubble that has just popped; suddenly I can hear tiny house noises again, I am aware that it's been a while since I took a breath, and in that moment I have no idea how much time has passed, like I've been somewhere else entirely. I could do that forever.

Of course, that doesn't happen to me very often. (I wish!!)

3. what do you love about yourself?

I left this question until the end, because I am not really sure how to answer. I keep typing things and then erasing them, so with that in mind.... 

one thing that I love about myself is that when I'm at school, people sort of...approach me for advice, whether it's something that's going on in their life, or just a homework question they don't understand. I really enjoy listening to them or helping them to understand the assignment (or potentially being like "girl I am as clueless as you, let's be clueless together," depending on the class.) I've had a lot of people tell me I would be a great teacher, and even though that's probably not what I'll end up doing as a career, it makes me feel nice. ☺

4. what advice would you give to someone who doesn't believe she/he is beautiful?

I would firstly tell them that anyone who told them this was lying. I would tell them that they are, in fact, very beautiful, for so many reasons beyond physical appearance, but that until they are personally convinced of their own worth, they will never believe it when they hear it from other people. (does that make sense?) You can't believe people's positive comments about you unless you believe your own positive comments about yourself, which is why it is SO IMPORTANT to begin to cultivate love for yourself inside your own head. Find some good things to say about yourself when the ugly voices rear their heads, and you will find that you care less about what other people think of you.

(I feel like I got a little bit off-topic there, whoops. It's something I feel pretty strongly about.)

5. what is the best piece of advice you've ever gotten about confidence?

I've always been a fairly confident person (at least on the outside!) so I don't remember anyone giving me any specific advice...something I always used to tell myself (and I still definitely live by) was to sort of fake it until you make it. If I'm going into a strange situation or I have to meet a whole bunch of new people and I'm feeling kind of scared, I hold my head up high and try to relax and walk confidently. I smile at the people I'm so afraid of, make simple conversation ("I love your dress! Where did you get it?") and laugh a lot! After a few minutes, it gets easier. 

 

(either that or I go and hide in the washroom for a few minutes before trying again. #honest)

6. If you were your own daughter, what advice would you give yourself? 

I would tell my daughter to stop worrying so much about what other people think of her. I would tell her that if she's going to believe every negative thought she has about myself, she deserves to believe the positive ones, too. I would tell her that she is beautiful not because of what she does or how she looks, but simply because God created her, and she exists, and she is loved. I would tell her to put less faith in the things that age and pass away, and focus more on the eternal. I would tell her to stop listening to voices that lie.

I will tell her to believe it when people say she's beautiful. I will tell her to do what she loves, no matter what other people think. I will tell her that she will always be different because of who she is and the God that she believes in, and I will tell her that this is not something to be ashamed of. 

I will tell her that she is so loved.

7. a verse, poem, sonnet, ancient-old proverb that inspires you to love yourself and others?

 I am totally unable to think of anything at the moment. I have all of these fragmented quotes and thoughts spinning around my head... here are a few:

you were born an original; don't die a copy
it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are - ee cummings
promise me that you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim - tyler knott gregson
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made - psalm 139:14
I have loved you with an everlasting love - Jeremiah 31:3


 
My tags are:
Alyssa
Danielle
Susanna
Brooke
Abbey Noelle
and you, if you're interested!! ☺

 Kate, thank you so much for tagging me! ♥ I think this blog party is a fantastic idea, also you're a genius.

What do you guys have to say about the topic of self love?

xx
Olivia