Inside Out

Love is all you need. When Paul McCartney wrote those words, I'm sure he did not realize (though was probably very excited to learn) the impact they have had on the past few generations. One line in a song has become the anthem of young and older people alike--for decades.

Most people take this line to mean love from those around us. If we surround ourselves with people with love and pursue activities we love, we should be happy, right? If we surround ourselves with positive influences, we will have positive attitudes. If we seek out happy experiences, we will be happy.

Every rule has its exceptions.What if experiencing this kind of love is not enough?

You cannot look at someone suffering from depression or anxiety and say,"Why can't you just be happy?" "What do you have to be sad about?"

A good day or a bad day isn't based on what happened that day. A bad day has nothing to do with an argument with a co-worker or a disappointment on an investment. A bad day occurs when nothing is wrong, but nothing can be made right. When you're lying in bed and begging yourself to stop thinking, stop imagining. A bad day is when you wish you could stop breaking your own heart.

Love from other people is not enough. It is not enough to hear that you are beautiful, that you are wanted, that you are desired by someone if you do not believe these things to be true.

After the movie Perks of Being a Wallflower came out, everyone began over-quoting the line "we accept the love we think we deserve."

Say it ain't so.

From my experience, it seems that we shut people out when we need a friend the most. We close ourselves off because sometimes we don't know how to be loved. Our souls are screaming "notice me" as our self-defenses prepare to take cover.


The greatest gift you can offer this world is showing them that you love and respect yourself. When you can look in the mirror and love what you see, you are the most beautiful you could ever be. When you can trust others enough to accept positive comments, it is in that moment that you are complete.

The very moment we realize our own worth is our defining moment. It is our second birth. It is when our lives really begin.

We can't always ask for people to love us or to know that we are thinking or needing, but we can be that person for ourselves. We can show ourselves that the core of who we are is worth fighting for and that we will do whatever it takes to win it back. When we channel everything that builds up inside of us--all the anxiety, into self-love, amazing things start happening.


*Photo credit: Google Images