Know Your Worth: Cultivating Healthy Relationships

about love, relationships, and most importantly, remembering your worth. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I know a lot of us are thinking about love and maybe feeling a little bit of pressure to do it right, or you're fomo fear of missing out. For those who aren't familiar, if you don't have a Valentine and you're trying to figure out how to navigate the holiday, I totally get it. Let's start with the most important question. Do you know

your value? And I don't mean in the sense of what your career is, or how much money you make, or what your relationship status is. I mean do you truly know deep down what you are worth? It's an essential question to ask. Before you can love anyone else, before you can show up in a relationship or even celebrate Valentine's Day with anyone, you have to know that you are a treasure. You are Uxdale with extra gravy.

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen women make is placing their worth outside of themselves based on what someone else thinks, or what society tells us we should be, or you know how a romantic partner makes us feel. Some of us tend to tie our value to external validation. But here's a thing. You are not what you do or what someone else says about you. You are not defined by your past, or your mistakes or your relationships status. You are inherently valuable, and that's something you need to

remind yourself of every day. So here's what I want you to do. Take a moment and just think about what makes you you. What are the things that light you up inside, What are the passions that fuel your heart? What qualities do you have that are unique and make you truly happy? That is your value. The moment you start stepping into your life with that understanding a promise you everything changes. Love. We all want it right. But the truth is love starts with you. We've all heard

it before. I know it's cliche, but it's the truth. It starts with the love you give yourself. And the beautiful thing about Valentine's Day is that it can be a reminder that love is literally everywhere, not just romantic love, the love that comes from your friends and family, and the love where everything flows from, the love from within. When you start loving yourself, you're not relying on someone

else to make you feel a whole. You start showing up in the world with a level of confidence, grace, and strength that attracts the right people and situations into your life. We all have relationships that matter, whether it's with family, friends, colleagues, and yes, romantic partners. But one thing that I've learned, especially in the past few years, is how important it is to set boundaries. I mean,

you need to become an atlas full of boundaries. Relationships really work best when they're rooted in mutual respect and healthy boundaries. I remember my dad telling me years ago that the most important thing in any relationship, no matter how old you are, is respect. It trumps love, It trumps any other emotion. You have to have respect in any and every relationship. And that's something that I try to remain and I make sure that I implement in my life because it's so true. So here's a little

piece of my own advice. Don't settle for less than what you deserve. Whether you're in a romantic relationship or it's a friendship, or even a relationship you've had with a family member, If you don't feel seen, heard, or valued, it's time to have a conversation. And if you have that conversation and the behavior continues, or you continue to feel invaluable, then it may be time to remove yourself.

At the end of the day, healthy relationships are built on clear communication, and when you respect your own needs, you set the tone for how others will treat you. Here's the thing, You cannot control their reaction or their response to your boundaries. So that's why I say, if you explain your boundaries and then you're still not abided by maybe that person just doesn't have the capacity to do so. It doesn't make them a bad person, it doesn't make them an evil person, but it just makes

them not your person. The most powerful thing you can do for yourself is to choose to live your life unapologetically, to step into your purpose and your truth without fear of what others will think of you or it. You have dreams, passions, and desires, and you have the right to pursue them. So don't let anything or anyone make

you doubt that. And listen. If you're worried about being alone, or like I said, fomo, being left out because of a lack of romantic love, or maybe your boundaries were disrespected or violated, remember you are whole just as you are. The love that matters most is a love that you give yourself, and eventually you will attract those people that will respect your boundaries and that will make you feel

seen and valued. Don't wait for a partner or someone else to validate who you are, or to validate your dreams and your hopes and aspirations. Don't wait for someone to tell you how amazing you are or how beautiful you are. Start showing up for yourself in big and small ways, and trust me, the world will take notice. So I challenge you, especially as Valentine's Day quickly approaches, to think, how can you show yourself love this week?

Maybe it's through a new self care ritual, a mask, a little red light therapy, a confidence boost through a wardrobe change or a new hairstyle, or maybe it's spending time with people who truly make you feel seen. Whatever it is, do it with intention. Don't wait for someone else to tell you how special or how loved you are. You are priceless, and it's about time that you recognize that.

I know this can be a hard time of year for some people, with all the roses and the hearts, and the social media videos of extravagant Valentine's Day proposals or just anything that makes you feel left out if you don't have that in your life. But I just want you to remember, as hard as it may be, you are amazing just as you are. You don't need a partner, a fancy dinner, or even a single rose

to prove your worth. And trust me, those things are nice, but if you don't have them, it's important that you remember that the love, joy, and freedom you seek starts from within you, and when you love yourself fully, everything falls into place. So this Valentine's Day, I want you to remember and be grateful for all of the friends and family who love you, and, most importantly, reflect on

the love you have for yourself. If you love this week's episode, don't forget to give us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and to share it with someone who you think could use a little reminder of their own worth.