Confidence and Self-Love

August 27, 2026

by Shelley

I’ve been working on something with my son for the last year... confidence and self love.

But truthfully, this didn’t start with him.

There was a time in my own life when I had to stand in front of a mirror every single day, look myself in the eyes and say:

I love you.

You are worthy.

You are important.

And at first? I didn’t believe a word of it.

It felt uncomfortable. It felt silly. Some days it probably felt like I was straight-up lying to myself.

But I kept saying it.

Until eventually, I started believing it.

Because a lack of self-love can destroy so much. It can convince us to accept things we never should have accepted. It can keep us in places we’ve outgrown. It can make us question whether we deserve good things when they finally come our way.

So when my daughter was around 12, I started teaching her the same thing.

She thought I was ridiculous.

Imagine telling a 12-year-old girl to stand in front of a mirror and say, “I love you. I am worthy. I am important.”

Absolutely mortifying.

But I remembered being 12 and 13.

Those ages were HARD.

Your body is changing. You’re trying to figure out who you are. Girls can be mean. Suddenly you’re comparing yourself to everyone around you and wondering if you measure up.

I watched my daughter struggle with those things while, ironically, I was struggling with many of the same feelings in my 30s.

In so many ways, my daughter and I have grown alongside each other.

Then I had my son.

When he was about two and a half, we started our own little version of the mirror routine.

At first it was simple.

“I’m handsome and kind.”

Now he’s almost four, and every single night before we pray, he stands in front of that mirror and says:

“I am worthy. I am kind. I am important. Jesus loves me.”

And I stand right beside him and say it too.

Maybe he thinks I’m teaching him.

But there are plenty of nights when he’s reminding me.

Because even after all this growth, I still have days, moments and even seasons when I question myself.

Am I good enough?

What if I fail?

What if I mess this up?

Self-sabotage is REAL.

Sometimes we become so afraid of failing that we convince ourselves not to try at all.

But I’m learning that being human means being flawed.

God did not ask me to be perfect.

He asks me to trust Him.

He reminds me that my worth isn’t determined by whether everyone likes me, whether every idea succeeds, whether I make the perfect parenting decision or whether I get everything right the first time.

My worth was never supposed to come from any of those things.

God created us in His image. And throughout this journey, He continues to teach me...when I’m willing to listen...that His love matters more than the voices telling me I’m not enough.

So what if I fail?

I try again.

What if I mess up?

I learn from it. I grow from it. And I keep moving.

My children are watching me grow while I’m watching them grow.

Maybe that’s one of the most beautiful parts of motherhood.

I don’t have to have everything figured out before I teach them something valuable. We can learn together.

So every night, I’ll keep standing beside my little boy in that mirror.

I’ll keep reminding my daughter of her worth, even though she’s much older now.

And I’ll keep reminding myself too.

I am worthy.

I am kind.

I am important.

I am loved.

And then I’ll keep walking forward..trusting God, raising these babies, learning as I go and becoming a little more confident in the woman He created me to be.

And obviously, if I’m going to keep walking forward…

I might as well do it in my favorite Leviticus boots.

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