I love me. Do you love you?

I am definitely not an insecure person.

I love me - just celebrated my 3 year anniversary of loving myself btw! It took nearly 25 years to get to this point, but it sticks once you do.

I don't think I agree with him on something - I can't blame the media for the insecurities of the masses - sure it feeds the fire, but media is unnecessary. If that much television is watched, magazines are browsed, newspapers are read, and even blogs, are absorbed they become REAL to a person. One of the few things my mother said that was valid when I was a child - "It's only television, none of it is real."

NONE OF IT IS REAL. It's illusion -

Look around right now at your life. What did you do today? Did it include supermodels making you binge and purge? Did you have lunch with a political running candidate explaining why you are morally wrong? Are there cameras following you just to see if you fuck up?

Then ask yourself: How much time today did you spend online, watching tv, reading the paper, reading a magazine, etc? Did you feel nervous when talking to a new person? Did you try to make yourself out to be someone you weren't? Have you lied? Have you wished you were different than who you are? Made yourself appear to be someone you are not?

People sacrifice their self esteem to the media gods. It isn't taken - it is freely given.

I love the video ad J placed in his blog. So much in fact that about 2 years ago I posted the exact same clip in a blog of its own after my beautiful friend Des sent it to me.

For children, it is the responsibility of their parents to teach them to love themselves for who they are - and how are those parents to do that if they have insecurities about who they are as well? Those parents need to take responsibility for the education of their children, not shelter them from it. Being sheltered only guarantees a more focused fascination with what is new once they are exposed to what they had hidden from them.

Once children become adults it then becomes their own responsibility to be the person they choose to be, decide for themselves who they are, but sadly some people actually LIKE their insecurities.

Who would they be without their insecurity? Who would they be without the experiences of their past? What would happen if they stopped blaming others and trying to make them uncomfortable for "making" them feel slighted? What identity could they claim without their misery? If they gave up all their insecurities and just learned to be HAPPY... what would they DO with their time of not being self conscious and bitter?

I am who I am.
I do a lot of things and have a few beliefs that other people would think were taboo or inappropriate. *GASP* Ready for some of them?

• I put my husband and my children before myself - always. I think women who place themselves before their own kids are selfish.

• I will always love my daughters more than I love my stepchildren.

• I speak my opinions without being asked.

• I am pretty conservative in my political views and don't really mind if others are offended by my extremist ethics. I'm not forcing them on anyone.

• I can be very judgmental and I am a bit self righteous.

• I use profanity - sometimes a lot.

• I set expectations for myself and for others. I have worked my ass off to raise my siblings and myself for the majority of my life without help. There is honor in that, and I am proud of what I have accomplished.

• I teach my children (and my siblings) that respect is not to be demanded. Respect is to be earned, but there is a reason for rules and authority.

• At times, I might seem like a royal brat, but I CAN do what I want and say what I want - and I won't just write it in a blog or journal I SPEAK up.

• ... and so much more!

If others can't handle any of that - no one says they have to be around me, and I certainly won't begrudge them or follow them when they leave. I know what matters in my life, have come to terms with my mistakes, learned my lessons so far, and have FORGIVEN. Not only myself, but others as well.

I'm just living my own life happily, and enjoying what I am learning along the way.

Knowing all of this about myself, AND that I am very intelligent, funny, am an amazing wife and doting mother and faithful friend, I have integrity, I am honest, I am healthy, I work hard and am able to support my family, (plus I have big boobs and amazing legs! *laughs* KIDDING!) and the list goes on - how could I be insecure about ME no matter what anyone else might "think"? I know me better than anyone else.

♥ I love me. Do you love you?