“You are so stupid, why did you say that!” 

I have talked to myself like this for as long as I can remember. Even aloud. No lie. 

Just last week, I dropped a glass. It slipped right out of my hand and shattered on the floor. 

“(Insert expletive), Jen! You are useless. What is wrong with you,” slipped out of my mouth without effort, followed by a few more hateful things.

My husband heard it and came and helped me clean it up. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t blame me or chastise me because he knew I had had enough of my own negative self-talk that he didn’t need or want to join in. It was an accident, after all.

 This got me thinking…

Why do I do this? Why do I hate on myself like that? Doesn’t society do that enough already?

 So I’m going to make it my goal to stop–it’s my Valentine’s goal. I am going to be my own Valentine. 

I will love myself like I love my children and husband. I would never speak to them the way I speak to myself, so I’m only going to speak to myself like I speak to my children. If you don’t have children, speak to yourself as you would speak to 5-year-old you. 

Why don’t you do it with me? Let’s make this our Valentine’s present to ourselves. 

Let’s try it together. Repeat with me:

I am amazing! 

I am beautiful! 

I am worthy of love! 

I love myself! 

I am enough!

Keep going. Add more. Go crazy! 

As Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation would say, “Treat Yo’self!” You deserve it! Buy yourself something special and give yourself permission to be happy because you are enough!!!