For the first time ever, I spoke positively to myself WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT after an experience that didn’t go the way I wanted it to go today.

My friends, they say self-love and personal development is an everlasting journey. And I believe that because I live it. Every day, I make conscious choices to speak positively to myself when I would normally beat myself up. Usually, what happens is that I start to beat myself up, then I stop and say, no, no, no. Be gentle. And then I launch into the “It’s okay, girlfriend. You’re still a good person” talk.

But today, after a sort of weird teaching day when class didn’t go as planned, and I could have blamed myself and questioned my abilities and wondered if my students thought I was the worst, I didn’t. For the first time ever, I went straight to “It’s okay, girlfriend” without even thinking about it!

I know I won’t go straight to forgiveness town every day, every time. But the fact that it happened today–UNCONSCIOUSLY–was super, super cool and proof to me that self-love can become automatic and rote if you practice it every day.

So do it! Next time you catch yourself blaming and shaming, stop. Be gentle and kind. It’s okay, and you’re okay. You’re still worthy of love and belonging. I promise!