“You have to love yourself first.”
Ah yes, the classic prerequisite.
Before anyone else can love you, you must first complete the following checklist:
Love yourself
Heal your inner child
Make peace with your reflection
Light a candle and forgive yourself for your awful sixth-grade haircut.
But here’s the thing:
That’s upside-down.
Love isn’t a diploma you earn after passing the Self-Esteem Exam.
It’s not locked behind a wall of personal development.
Love doesn’t care how many affirmations you’ve done.
It doesn’t wait until you “fully believe you deserve it.”
It’s already here—under the noise of your self-judgment.
You don’t have to love yourself first.
You just have to stop falling for the idea that you’re not already lovable.
You’re not a fixer-upper.
You’re not on layaway until further emotional notice.
You’re human. And love fits you just fine.
Here’s today’s Upside-Down Wisdom:
You don’t have to love yourself first—love is not a DIY project.
This is Upside-Down Wisdom—a series where we flip the script on the conventional "wisdom" we've been taught. If you would like to read other posts in this series, please visit the Upside-Down Wisdom page.