I like myself and that’s apparently revolutionary

I like myself. Not all the time. Not necessarily when I’ve gained two pounds or made a mistake at work. But I like who I am. I like the direction my life is going. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in life so far and I’m looking forward to seeing where life takes me in the medium- (pun intended) and long-term.

I realize this is a revolutionary statement. I am a 30-something year-old woman. I have big curly hair that is sometimes helplessly frizzy and sometimes resembles an Austen heroine. My arms are too chubby for my liking. I sometimes procrastinate even minor tasks like sending a 5-minute email.

But I like the way my hair makes me stand out in a crowd. My arms are healthy and they work and they allow me to drive and hug my mom and pick up my pets. Sometimes (especially after a steaming oat-milk latte) I don’t procrastinate, I respond to an email as soon as I receive it, and I feel so proud of myself.

I wonder if we realize how many industries would be brought to their knees if we simply started liking ourselves more. How many companies profit off of our insecurities? We think we dress dowdily, so we read a fashion magazine. We have forehead wrinkles, so we get Botox. It is not my desire for companies to go out of business. But we should think about how women’s insecurities prop up so much of our modern economy.

I like myself and I hope you like yourself too.