Last week on Facebook, a friend asked: what did you do in 2024 that worked for you and you will keep on doing. I started responding with my healthier habits that have served me well, but then stopped and wrote “Loving Myself.”  Because in truth, that is what all of my good decisions have stemmed from. 

Starting with my husband requesting boudoir photos for his birthday, I was on a journey.  I always had felt a little uncomfortable with those types of pictures in the past, but to be fair they had never been done by a professional before.  Seeing my photos I felt really sexy, like maybe for the first time I had a good body, a lovable one. 

I don’t know about you, but with the beauty standards that are thrust upon girls in our culture from a very young age, I never felt like I actually stacked up.  How could I possibly be lovable if I didn’t look like JLo or Kate Moss?  But starting with my viewing party, I felt a little more lovable, a little more worthy. 

Feeling better about myself I starting feeling empowered to make myself more of a priority.  I started sending my body loving messages, instead of hateful ones.  I could pass the mirror and say hey—those arms are looking great today! Or find something else to be grateful or pleased with. I would whisper to myself “self devotion” and I kept doing mirror work. 

When I started feeling better about myself it made healthier decisions easier to make.  I could be more devoted to my good body, the one that was so capable, the one that got me here and the one that was getting healthy.  I could choose to stop poisoning myself with poor food choices. 

I also started moving my body more.  I could love the tone I was seeing, instead of being super critical that I still didn’t look like Beyonce. That improved my mood and made me a better person, a happier person, not only for the people around me, but for myself.  I was starting to feel like a good friend, a good mom, one who’s behavior really lined up with her goals. 

If you have been following me for a while you will know that the first photoshoot was NOT the last.  Since then, I have modeled many concepts I wanted to see in my photo work.  Each time I felt my self esteem improve.  Imagine me, a 40 year old, a size 14, and a model.  My former self would not have believed it, but I do with my whole heart now. 

Now I truly feel like a model.  I own my body, I celebrate my curves, I give thanks to my body for all the hard work it has done.  Boudoir helped me level up in self esteem, and I took that confidence and ran with it. 

This year I am going to keep loving myself.  Loving myself helps me make decisions that are actually aligned with my goals, because I am worth it.  I am worthy of living my dreams, and so are you! If you loved this blog and you made it this far, I would love to know what worked for you in 2024 that you are going to run with this year.  I hope loving yourself makes the list.