Self Love and Starting Fires

People always say that bullshit line of “love yourself before anyone loves you”.

but how do you love yourself?

Do you look in the mirror and tell yourself you're pretty regardless of how you feel or what you eat or that you work out five times a week?

Because I've been doing that for a year, and every time I wake up and I shuffle myself to the mirror, force my head up, look at myself and say it, the words spit out of my mouth like venom- sarcastic, cruel, and angry.

Or do you take yourself out to dinner and remind yourself that you could be with someone, but you're not?

‘cause coffee after coffee, dinner after dinner, I look at my situation and I don't feel happy with my skin.

Or maybe it's the realization that you have to put yourself first sometimes, and not the other person.

There's this saying: “don’t light yourself on fire to keep other people warm.”

And after some time, I think that's what loving yourself means.

I just have to stop giving myself the matches.