SELF LOVE AND GROWTH : AN OPEN LETTER

By Helena Nyerere

The one lesson that 2016 taught me was to appreciate the beauty of growth. It was Sunday morning, in Dar es Salaam, and it was the first Christmas I was spending alone.

I sat in my room and evaluated on the person that I had became during the past year. I didn’t like this person I was becoming, and neither did the people around me.

I was holding on to broken relationships, I constantly kept pointing out my failures, and I procrastinated on the simplest things. Believing in myself was something that started to become unfamiliar. That was the person I was before I accepted growth.

I was stuck in this world where I thought I had to settle, and where I thought being average was ok. But deep down I knew that person wasn’t me. I knew it was more to life than just being basic, and I wanted to be great! It was that very moment, when I realized that the lack of self love was keeping me from greatness.


And in order for me to be great, I needed to grow. I knew I had to love myself more so I can blossom and become who I was destined to be.

So I promised myself, I will no longer continue to be this person that I’m not. I promised myself I’ll go back to being the charismatic, social, smart, and witty Helena I once was. I promised myself that I’ll love me, even if no one would.

I promised myself that I’ll have faith in myself, just like the way God has faith in me. I promised myself I will leave anger, fear, insecurities, negativity, broken relationships, failures, and doubts all in 2016.

I promised myself that I would accept my flaws, be passionate about what I love, inspire others through my creativity, and break my people pleaser habits. I promised myself that I would only become greater with time, and I would never allow myself to go down that path again. And I did just THAT.

If you are reading this, then I challenge you to participate in the #SelfLove challenge and make promises to yourself, and live up to them. Try new things. DO whatever that makes YOU happy but do it without losing yourself.

Let go of negative relationships. Embrace your flaws. Break the people pleaser habits. Live for yourself. Inspire others. Love yourself the best way you know how!

Always remember that you are a gem, and you were put on this earth to be nothing but great! If anyone is getting in the way of your greatness, then push them out of your way and keep going.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. No one knows you better than you know yourself. Accept growth, and gain self love. It will change your life forever.