As human beings we are creatures of love, and we so crave the love and attention of our neighbour. We practice acts of love towards others, expecting to be loved in return. I want to ask, “Do you love you?”It may sound silly asking such a question, but “do you love you?” strange as this question may sound our Lord Jesus himself declared “love your neighbour as you love yourself”.

 I am not encouraging narcissism, I only want us to love and appreciate ourselves. You are specially and wonderfully made, you are beautiful. Most of us, especially we females spend a lot of time admiring others. “Oh my such flawless skin”, “such flat abs”, “such long hair”, “what a backside”, “what a curvaceous body”, etc. Soon we find ourselves wishing, “I wish I were like him or like her”. You never wish to be like you, but you are you, peculiar and beautiful in your own way. Nobody can be you.

We meditate on these wishes and act on them. Most times we are pushed to the wall when people point out faults in our bodies like “you have such a flat chest”, “you have such owlish eyes”, “you have such skinny legs”…you have a right to remind them that everyone can not be a model. Most times we crave so much unnecessary attention and “love”, that we feel insecure and incomplete.

To get “love” we go under the surgeon’s knife. We must get those silicone implants, that liposuction, that tummy tuck, that nose lift, etc. just for him or her. Truth is you have gone through pains to sustain a love based on external appearances. If you want to go under a surgeon’s knife do it because you want to. You can have cosmetic surgery because it is your wish. Do not live your life for another person, do not become another person. Men so eager to get the Adonis look go to the gyms and body build to their breaking point. Others start taking steroids to build body muscle, a fast way to get the six-packs, only to become steroid addicts, and face the health consequences.

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 Peer pressure has most our youth in its grip because they want to fit in. Many of them are in rehab today because of friends, others behind bars, some in psychiatric homes knocked out by the effect of drugs. Sadly, some did not survive to tell the story; they went to an early grave, their dreams of youth truncated so early. Hey friend, you can call the shots and pull your own crowd. That is if you need a crowd. What you need are true friends no matter how few, who would love you and make you not mar you.

Do not do what every other person is doing, do your thing. In our fashion crazy world everyone thinks school work is boring. If you are a student, face your work and be the best in what you do. We all cannot go to Hollywood or the fashion industry.

Many people lack the will and the strength to say “this is who I am, I love myself and I am proud of myself”. If you go around seeking love when love should seek you, you may be heartbroken. We should remember we are independent thinking and independent minded people. Love yourself and thank God for you. Next time you look into a mirror, do not sigh, hold your head high, square your shoulders, push out your chest and smile at yourself and say “there is only one me in the whole wide world, and I am beautiful, I love me”. The most important compliment is that you pay yourself.