I really feel what you’re saying. That whole narrative of “You can only love someone else if you love yourself first” can feel so contradictory, can’t it?
Because yes, you are on your path. You’re beginning to rediscover what self-love actually feels like, not as an idea, but as something real, something that protects you, strengthens you, and brings you clarity.
And still, you can love, even while you’re just now remembering your own love.
You were never incapable of it.
Because love isn’t something we have to earn. It’s something we are.
Deep down, it’s always been there inside you. Maybe buried, maybe covered by old wounds or doubts or everything you were told about yourself. But it’s there. And it stays.
What is true, though, is that it’s incredibly hard to hold onto love for someone else when you’re constantly questioning yourself.
That’s when the old fears creep in. Am I enough? Am I replaceable? Do I even have the right to fully show up as I am?
And that’s where the power of self-love begins to unfold. Not as a concept, but as solid ground beneath your feet.
When you know your worth, you’re no longer thrown off by every moment of insecurity. You say no where you used to hesitate.
You begin to trust. Yourself, your choices, the people who stay when you’re being fully real.
And yes, that’s when space opens up. Space for connection. For love. For more than just survival or bare minimums.
Self-love isn’t an either-or.
It’s the foundation for everything that wants to grow deep and lasting.
You don’t have to be someone who has it all together in order to love.
You’re allowed to love and heal at the same time.
To give and to receive.
To doubt and to grow.
Because that’s what you are.
A human in motion, full of courage, full of depth, full of love.