What do I love about myself?

I was on Twitter today as I often am, and came across someone Tweeting at Dove. They've had a campaign called Love your Body since 2006 if my Googling is correct. Dove's twitter stream posed this question last week: Love is on everyone’s mind this week, but we want to know – what do you love about yourself?

I thought it was a particularly pertinent question to ask! If you don't know the positive and excellent things about yourself, how will you be able to play to your strengths? How will you be able to be a strong and self-confident woman(or man)? We are always focusing on the negatives in our society(in my opinion), but never take the time to praise our own good qualities. As a teacher, I was taught that it takes something like 6 compliments to overcome the damage that one piece of criticism does. What does that mean we are doing to ourselves?

So, as a belated Valentine's post, here are the things I love about myself:

1. My smile! I have a smile that is always at the ready--for students, for friends, for loved ones. I am usually in a good mood, and it doesn't take much to make me smile. I'd like to think that it's infectious, but I'd have to consult other authorities on that. It's also an attractive smile! I have nice teeth and I'm not afraid to show them when I smile.

2. My shoulders! A much overlooked part of the body, in my opinion. My shoulders have just the right curve and are a nice creamy white color with freckles!

3. My ability to relate to just about anyone! I get along with all ages, from preschoolers all the way up to grandmas and papaws. I love listening to the little ones learn--it helps me remember being awed by knowledge. I love listening to the stories of my elders. They've lived through some interesting times!

4. My extensive vocabulary! I've never met a word I didn't love. I have a compulsion to read pretty much everything, and you hardly ever find me without a book in hand. I rarely come across new words that I don't know unless I'm playing at FreeRice.com. I rarely get a chance to use much of my vocabulary because I don't want to talk over people's heads. BTW, this applies mainly to the students with learning disabilities that I work with! I'm not trying to be arrogant.

5. My way with words! I am a good writer, a good public speaker, and I can say things in different ways so that my students with disabilities can better understand them.

6. My insistence on excellence! If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I tackle projects with enthusiasm, and I'm not afraid to re-do it if it isn't up to my standards. I love a good challenge!

7. My love of learning! I truly believe that when you quit learning, you start dying. There's not much in the world that gives me more pleasure than learning something new. I want to learn something new every day. Learning keeps me young and enthusiastic. I think there's very little I can't learn to do.

8. My feet! I know, strange thing to love about yourself, but I do love my feet. They are well-proportioned, in my opinion. I don't have hairy toes or anything! They're quite nice feet as feet go, if a little stinky sometimes.

9. My ability to keep loving, no matter how many times my heart gets broken! I've been dumped. I've been left. I've had friends who treated me badly. I've been betrayed. Sadly, these are all parts of life, and all parts of relationships. Despite that, I am able to get back up, dust myself off, and try again. I can love my exes for who they are and what they taught me. I have enough love to go around. There is room in my heart for many friends, for family and adopted family, and hopefully only one more significant other! LOL.

I am sure there are other things that I love about myself, but nothing is springing to mind at the moment. I may have to come back and make a list in my journal of 100 Things I love about myself.

What do you love about yourself? Please, please, please share!!