I’ve always believed that you can only love someone else when you love yourself, because if you can’t love yourself how can you expect someone else to?

But I’ve also realized you don’t need to feel complete or whole to be loved.

You can be a work in progress. You can have things you are passionate about, are working towards. Having a rich inner life naturally draws others towards you. And you can have safety in knowing you don’t need someone else’s love to validate your own love for yourself.

It’s about loving yourself enough to respect yourself to follow your dreams, your gut, your intuition and always living in your name.

Life is about sharing and sharing your experiences with each other, not sacrificing your own. Love shouldn’t be stemmed from an insecurity to feel okay about yourself.

You should feel great about yourself, but even greater that someone actually cares enough about you to want to share life with you.

I always thought that I needed to feel “whole” to be loved. But sometimes, someone else can make you feel more “whole” and more than you thought you were. And that is enough.

The difference is that they see more in you than you do yourself. Maybe it be a flaw or a rich emotional life, but they see and understand your world, and still want to be a part of it.

I think love is about sharing and supporting each other – wanting what’s best, wishing for the best in each other, standing by each other. You’re not seeking anything out of each other.

And when you have that kind of love and trust with someone? That goes a long way.

❤️