practicing how to love yourself

In today's Lighthouse Letter, I talk about a practice that I've been doing for the last 5 years: writing a love letter to myself every month. It's a practice that's helped me see the best in myself even when I really didn't want to (it can be so easy to just be full of self-loathing), develop my resilience, and witness my own personal growth in real-time. It's also helped future me a lot. When I'm sad or struggling, I'll pick out a letter and read it. And it turns out that I do a lot every month that aligns with my values. I show up in ways that my inner critic likes to conveniently forget. And writing these letters helps me show up for my community, because they fill my own cup. This letter is for those of you who might not feel like you are your own home quite yet, and includes a small invitation for you to write your own love letter to yourself, if you feel so inclined. I also talk about my journey to starting this practice, and how much of my ability to stay hopeful is due to this particular act of loving myself, even if it feels weird, cringy, or odd.