Khushbu's Journey to Self-Validation & Peace of Mind

How do you define self-love?

Self-love to me means going way beyond loving yourself. It means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. It means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. It means not settling for less than you deserve. For me, it’s reinforcing the belief of “I’m the best” every single day, and celebrating that.

Photo of Khushbu Davda

Self-love empowers you, motivates you, inspires you, and most importantly, makes you your happiest self.

What has held you back from feeling confident in who you are?

For me, I’ve struggled with insecurities when it comes to my body image. I have also struggled with seeking external validation from those around me and relied on other people to make me happy. I know now that I am the only person who can validate me and make myself happy; but I would be lying if I don’t admit that sometimes I still yearn for outside love. I’m a highly-sensitive-person and so, I often love too much, too soon, and too hard. This leads to a vicious cycle of expectations and insecure thoughts when it comes to my relationships.

However, I don’t see these as roadblocks on my journey, but merely obstacles that require me to push myself and work harder to overcome them. Everything is temporary, I know that now.

What was the turning point that made you realize you needed to start loving and accepting yourself?

From a young age, I felt insecure. I was highly sensitive and, subsequently, struggled with constantly needing validation and love. Had it not been for constant disappointments and acknowledging how real life actually works, I would’ve never learned how to love myself so fiercely.

I’d be lying if I said I have self-love all figured out. I haven’t. One of the first steps I took was valuing my self-respect, which meant letting go of all the people, places and things that didn’t do the same. I slowly distanced myself from people who were draining my energy and dedicated more time towards caring for myself.

How has your life changed after deciding to be more confident and to love yourself more?

I have felt more independent and most importantly at peace. Self-love has taught me awareness of my body, mind, heart and soul and listening to what I need. It’s made me feel so comfortable and grateful to be ME.

I’ve gained a deeper understanding of what makes me happy, what upsets me, and what saddens me. With that added knowledge, it becomes easier for me to regulate my emotions. I’m embracing my flaws. I no longer seek validation from people around me. My circle of friends has also gotten smaller, but it’s magnified in value. Self-love has taught me to be grateful, to appreciate the small things. I realized what matters most to me is being happy and feeling loved in the most authentic way.

How is The Confident Woman Daily helping you along your journey to self-love and building confidence?

It’s been exciting to know someone out there doing such a fabulous job sharing inspiring and honest stories of self-love and self-healing. I love the tips beings shared and I look forward to being on this journey to loving myself more and building confidence with them.