28 DOSL- Danielle 2023

I am evolving

“When thinking about this session and what self love means to me in my life right now, evolving is one of the first words that popped into my mind. This past year I turned 30, and while it truly is just a number, it also… isn’t. It is the end of a decade and the start of a new one, evolving into a different version of me.

I’ve struggled (and still do) and worked hard (and still do) to build a life I can honestly say I love. A big part of that has been learning to love myself at every stage of my life and my journey. Life experiences, age, therapy, self awareness and quite a few hard conversations with myself have all helped with the process!

To me, evolving means loving myself today while still working to be better tomorrow. It means loving myself on my good days, on my bad days, in the body I have now, with the struggles I face now. But it also means continuing to change, to grow and to work toward being a little bit better every day. .

I saw a quote recently that said, “don’t spiral, evolve” and I love that. Instead of feeling like the end of a decade has me spiraling because I’m getting older, getting more wrinkles, living in a different body than the one I had a decade ago, I am choosing to view it as evolving. I am not who I was (in more ways than one) and that’s ok!

I am evolving into the version of me that I am meant to be in this stage of life and falling in love with the journey of becoming in the process 🖤” - Danielle

© All images copyright of Shelah Riley