The month of love is upon us.
Valentine’s date nights, chocolates, sweet-worded cards, and selfless acts of love are littered throughout February. From rom coms on repeat to plush teddy bears on display, society primarily encourages us to love those most important to us. While this is admirable and necessary, one kind of love seems to be missing from the celebration—self-love.
Sadly, it doesn’t come as a shock that self-love is difficult to cultivate. When life seems to be all about “the grind,” when does anyone have the time to take care of themselves? When the world spends much of its money telling people they’re not good enough until they buy a certain product, how are we meant to love ourselves? And, what’s more, when self-love seems selfish and it’s unsafe to share personal struggles with others, what is the motivation to practice self-love?
It is estimated that 85% of people worldwide (adults and adolescents) have low self-esteem.
Today, a viral pandemic is the primary topic of conversation. Though, it seems another pandemic is sneaking up right under our nose. The mental health crisis is pervasive and takes over 47,000 lives a year, on average. The ‘disease’ of feeling unloved—by others and oneself—is rampant throughout multiple generations. When something is that big, finding a cure can feel overwhelming. But it’s the small steps toward health that can make all the difference.
That’s why UnbridledACTS created the Unbridled Identity Fund, to dispel the stigma around counseling and therapy and make mental health a social norm. No one should feel isolated in their struggles, and everyone should be celebrated for loving themselves. It is only out of self-love that we can truly love others well. The heart of Unbridled Identity is to see people become free to be and love who they truly are and encourage others to experience that same kind of healing.
“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Amy March, from Little Women
It is a noble thing to recognize our needs. To settle into the reality that the course set for us won’t always be smooth sailing and give ourselves every support needed to navigate life—rough waters and all. The mission of UnbridledACTS, to love people to life, starts with ourselves. We must make the first step. That’s why the Identity program attempts to remove the barriers of counselling costs and connecting with a therapist, to make that first step easier. Don’t wait to love yourself. If you do, you’ll delay your ability to love others too.
To find out more about the Unbridled Identity Fund and/or join the program, email Lorelei Thorne at [email protected].
