Quick question…have you dared to begin a love story with yourself? Don’t laugh. Don’t blush. And please, don’t scoff. The more we think of ourselves with affection (no matter what we weigh, how we look or which goals we have yet to accomplish), the more we create an atmosphere that can initiate and foster real change. All we have is today. All we have is now. So why not love ourselves even as we work to change our eating or exercise habits?

For years, as I struggled to take off over 250 pounds of excess weight, I thought of myself as a lowlife loser who didn’t deserve any kind of happiness as long as I was wearing a 60-inch belt around my waist. But until I started to be gentle with myself and think of myself as a friend, I didn’t achieve my goals of true and total health. This includes our mental states. So remember: Real success (no matter what the goal) starts with real love…and that begins with you loving yourself. (True story!)

Photo Source: Spark People