I am not a wizard. I cannot cast a magical spell on you to make you love yourself. No such spell exists. Instead, I can offer you a journey that consists of lots of hard work, determination, entire mental rewiring, bouts of self-doubt, perseverance, and long periods of time. Fun!

Learning to love yourself is far from easy, especially if you've struggled with self-loathing from a young age. Today's society pressures young girls more than ever to look and act a certain way. If you don't happen to fit the criteria, it can be remarkably easy to begin to think something is wrong with you. For example, many surveys support the statistic that more girls are afraid of being fat than getting cancer or losing their parents. A study in the UK found that 6 out of 10 girls thought they would be happier if they were skinnier.

It is far, far too easy to begin to hate yourself as a woman in today's world.

That's why loving yourself is so brave. It is undeniably courageous to choose to adore yourself in a society that profits off of your insecurities.

And it is so rewarding. I can *GUARANTEE* that your life will improve upon learning to love yourself. When you choose to embrace yourself as a whole instead of obsessing over your flaws, life becomes brighter. The sun shines, the birds chirp, the flowers bloom, etc etc.

But, like I mentioned before, it is a journey and it doesn't come easy. Believe me.

On that note, here are Bayley Baker's Five Kickass Tips to Kickstart Your Self-Love Journey:

1) Realize that it all begins and ends with YOU! Forget what anybody else has to say! How do YOU feel about yourself? What do YOU love about yourself? YOU and you alone have the power to value your own innermost thoughts and feelings. YOU have control over how much you hate or love yourself. It's all in your noggin. Become the authoritative figure in your own head. Kick the negative thoughts to the curb and embrace the positives.

2) TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Do what you need to do to maintain a healthy mindset and lifestyle. Do not cut corners when it comes to your personal needs. Cut toxic people out of your life. Eat well. Drink water. Focus on you. There is no shame in putting yourself first sometimes.

3) Don't feel guilty! I realize that all this self-love business can feel very egocentric and me-me-me. The truth is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting yourself first sometimes. In fact, a later blog post of mine will talk all about how loving yourself is the root of sharing that love with everyone around you and radiating positive energy. Don't fret!

4) Forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for everything you've been bottling up and hating yourself for. Stop replaying those regretful moments in your head. FORGIVE for the tangible things. Then, forgive yourself for judging yourself. Forgive yourself for the self-hatred. Start clean. Wipe off the slate and embrace a new attitude. Learn from the past, take everything valuable from it that you can, and then promptly leave it behind. Breathe.

5) Have patience. This is a process. No matter what stage of the game you're in, there is always a higher level. We are all at different places in our self-love journey. This doesn't happen in a day. It takes time. Give it the time it needs. That YOU need.

How many times can I say "YOU"? Jeez.

For even more inspiration, check out this amazing blog also dedicated to self-love: http://galadarling.com/getting-started-with-radical-self-love/

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned & stay strong.