What Do You Love About Yourself? And Why Is It So Hard To Answer?

I sat there and blinked, my mind swirling trying to come up with an answer. “What do you love about yourself? Tell me 5 things …” Why was I not sure how to respond?

As a boudoir photographer, I help women on their journey to self-love, body positivity and increasing their confidence. The experience, done correctly, creates a major impact in the lives of my clients.

As part of my training, I needed to understand how a client may feel. This way I can help her through the process and provide a positive outcome.

Part of this is learning what they like about themselves. Then I can tailor their photo session to reflect that aspect and diminish areas they are uncomfortable about.

Why should you know?

You see, almost everyone has body image issues. They look in the mirror and see what they perceive as flaws. Maybe you don’t have the same body you used to have. This is a natural result of aging and life, but our inner voice won’t allow for that and we condemn ourselves.

It is said we are our own worst critic. That nagging voice in your head that tells you “you aren’t good enough.” And we listen to that voice so often, it becomes hard to be positive and focus on what we do love about ourselves.

If you don’t know what you love about yourself, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you are broken. All it means is you are at the start of a self-love journey. You have the opportunity to learn to know yourself and your need better. With some work, you will be able to develop a strong sense of love for yourself – and that is magical.

What is self-love?

Self-love is when you accept yourself as you are. It means treating yourself with the same kindness and respect you show for others.

You watch how you allow your inner voice to talk to yourself. Instead you begin to talk to yourself as you would a loved one or a friend. Showing yourself care, love and concern.

Some people confuse self-love with arrogance. It isn’t conceited to look at your positive features. You aren’t putting yourself above others. You are looking at the positives to create a better mindset and that positivity will spread to those around you.

Self-love doesn’t mean you will always feel or be positive. That isn’t a realistic expectation. But it does mean you won’t beat yourself up over these feelings. You will respect your right to have them and continue to treat yourself with kindness.

List of positive things about yourself

Now let’s make a list of positive things about yourself. I’m going to give you a pretty long list here and I want you to look it over.

Then, create you own list and title it “What I Like About Myself” or “Things I Love About Me.”

Don’t just read the list! You should create your own. It will definitely be a great step on your path to self-love.

Things to love about yourself …

1. Your sense of adventure.

2. Your honesty with yourself and others.

3. Your respect for yourself and others.

4. Your ability to have an open-mind and accept other viewpoints.

5. Your ability to love others.

6. Your inner strength.

7. Your passion to do things you love or want to accomplish.

8. Your commitment to personal improvement.

9. Your desire to grow as a person.

10. Your confidence – even if it is sometimes lacking, you know you have value.

11. Your determination to do the things you want or need to do. 12. Your intelligence, you are always able to learn things you need to know. 13. Your resilience. You are able to overcome obstacles if you want. 14. Your creativity. Not all creatives write, draw or create. Creativity exists in thought and deed too, so even if you think you aren’t, your mind is creative. 15. Your perspective. You see things from your own angle and that is a valuable trait that can be shared. 16. Your self-control, you are in charge, not your desires. 17. Your trust in others – friends, co-workers, family & loved ones. 18. Your strengths, all the things you are good at. 19. Your authenticity. 20. Your sense of humor. 21. Your curiosity. 22. Your sense of loyalty. 23. Your friendships. 24. Your relationships. 25. Your family. 26. Your pets. 27. Your goals and dreams. 28. Your love of learning. 29. Your ability to problem solve. 30. Your ability to connect with others.

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31. Your sense of compassion for yourself and others. 32. Your personality and sense of self. 33. Your laugh and the ability to laugh. 34. Your interests and how easily you connect with them. 35. Your education, all that you have learned to this point in your life. No matter how or where you learned the lessons. 36. Your patience with yourself and others. 37. Your sensitivity, which even when it is difficult to deal with gives you an edge. 38. Your ability to see the good in others even when they can’t see it in themselves. 39. Your style, which is uniquely your own. 40. Your taste in music and how it makes you feel. 41. Your love of reading and how it feels to get lost in a good story or learn from others. 42. Your taste in entertainment. Movies, television, comedy, concerts, and plays all enrich your life. 43. Your taste in art, which inspires you in so many ways. 44. Your affection for others. 45. Your generosity. 46. Your strength of body and mind, which allows you to take care of yourself and others. 47. Your talents and what they allow you to do. 48. Your sense of romance and ability to celebrate love. 49. Your ability to forgive. 50. The fact you are there for your friends and family when they need you. And that they are there for you.

51. Your senses, because they allow you to experience life. 52. Your intuition, which helps you make better decisions. 53. Your smile, which can change how you feel and uplift the mood of others. 54. Your eyes, even if not perfect, they offer you the ability to see the world around you. 55. Your ability to learn from mistakes. You aren’t your past, you control your future. 56. Your ability to feel joy, in yourself and others. Share the joy and celebrate in it. 57. Your understanding of grief and sadness. It is a part of life that allows you to deal with loss and poor outcomes. It doesn’t define you, it doesn’t isolate you, it allows you to move forward. 58. Your ability to heal. 59. Your love of life. Even during rough times, the world is a beautiful place. Don’t allow yourself to miss anything and celebrate your zest for life. 60. Your love of beauty and ability to see it everywhere.

61. Your ingenuity and resourcefulness.

62. The way you present yourself to the world.

63. Your body. It is the body you have that has allowed you to do everything you have accomplished in life. It may not be perfect, but NO BODY is perfect. Celebrate what you have and work to take care of it.

64. Your legs, which allow you to go where you need to and accomplish all you do.

65. Your skin, which protects your inner organs so they can do their job. Show your skin some love and self-care.

What do you love about yourself?

I could continue with this list, but now it is your turn. See if you can make your list longer than mine.

Women, don’t forget to love your hair, your breasts, your butt and thighs, your lips, your nose, your teeth and your stomach. You may not like how things look, but every part of your body does things for you.

Stretch marks may represent weight gains, loss or child birth. These were things your body helped you through and should be appreciated.

Make it a point that when you look in a mirror, instead of looking for your perceived flaws, you compliment what you love. It is the perfect way to increase your self-esteem and begin to accept yourself as the amazing person you are.

If you are on a self-love journey, I’d be happy to share the benefits of boudoir photography with you. It is a chance to step out of your comfort zone in a safe, supportive environment and see yourself in a new way. To learn more, reach out to my studio!

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