You are ENOUGH!

You are ENOUGH. A simple, yet profound statement.

How many times have you struggled to fit into a certain clique? How many times have you tried to attain the perfect weight? How many times have you secretly wished you had a prettier face, a smaller waist, thicker thighs, a smaller nose, bigger eyes, thicker lips? How many times?

Now, what if I told you that you are amazing (created in God's image) just the way you are?  It is time we understood that fact that we are all uniquely created, and that we were placed upon this earth for a purpose.

Self love and acceptance is not something we can master overnight. It is a journey that one has to embark on, consciously.  In short, you make a decision to love who you are. Make sense? It will eventually.

It took me more than three decades to learn that I, Erica Smith, am an amazing soul. Yes, perfect in ALL my imperfections. There is not a single human being on earth who was created to have the exact features and personality traits as myself. You can search the world over but you will never come across my replica (not to suggest that there aren't people who look similar to me, hehehehe) Of course physical features may be a common factor, But you will never come across an individual with a heart, brain or personality, identical to mine. The same goes for you- Yes You! Remember this, no one is you, and that is your power!

I remember how, as a young girl, I hated the sound of my name. It sounded strange, it sounded foreign, almost like it did not belong to me. Why wasn't I named Caroline, Sandra, anything but "Erica"? I often wondered why my parents opted for such an uncommon and 'boy-ish' name. Yes, it is my name and I could not change it but I was ashamed of it. I hated my name and quite frankly, I hated myself. 

I hated the way I was so tall and the fact that my friends called me "Gilonki", whatever the hell that meant. Hahahaha!  I hated my voice and wished it could have been a bit more squeaky. I hated my long legs. I hated my biggish tummy. I hated my eyes because my brother called me "Big Eyes". I hated my nose (which is slightly above average). I hated my tiny breasts. My self hate list was endless.

I often heard some of my Mom's friends compliment my siblings and I to be good looking. I never paid any attention to the compliments as I never thought I possessed any form of beauty. It is for this reason that I always tell my own children that I love them and that they look good, just the way that they are. I can never emphasize it enough to them. I say it all the time and I want them to grow in that knowledge and reassurance.

It should never have come as a surprise therefore, that the relationships I found myself involved in, left a lot to be desired. My lack of confidence or low self-esteem, caused me to endure many forms of abuse and sold myself short in too many ways. It took me a while to learn how to love ME. Moreover, it took me a while to fully comprehend and embrace my self worth.

My journey has not been an easy one but my experiences have shaped me and moulded me into the woman I am today. I know who I am and I know what I am worth. You see, I do not even know where to start in describing my value. In actuality, my value cannot be explained in monetary terms. I am priceless. I am as precious as the rarest gem known and whoever finds me, finds a priceless treasure, a Queen!

I will not settle for anything less than the best and will rather choke on greatness then nibble on mediocrity.

I am a daughter of the most high and I AM ENOUGH!

#KnowYourWorth
#DoNotSettleForLess
#QueensArePriceless
#BeYourAuthenticSelf
#SelfLove

Till next week, much love and God Bless!!