It was 1993, and I was 24 years old, having what I now call my “quarter-life crisis.”  I was a physical, mental and emotional mess. I went to the library and took out every book I could on self-help. I sat on the floor of my run-down rental house, stopped drinking and partying, and I read one book at a time to help move me forward in a positive way.

I remember the Saturday night I stayed home to read Living, Loving, Learning by Leo Buscaglia.  I was sitting on my couch, and though I didn’t have any money, the money I was saving not drinking all the time, gave me a little extra money for a small pizza.  I remember that day. It was one of the many that set me on my path to wanting to be a better person, and the author Leo Buscaglia sounded like the kindest man in the world.

I saved that book, and last weekend I read that book again. It took me right back to being that brave young woman who wanted to change. I underlined this part of the book, and I remember reading it and thinking, I want to be that person. “You are all you have. Therefore, make yourself the most beautiful, tender, wonderful, fantastic person in the world. And then you will always survive.”  I wanted to survive. I wanted to take better care of myself and live a wonderful, fantastic life.

I finished the book, and on the last few pages, there was a stain where I dropped pizza on the book. I touched the page and smiled. My life is 100% different than I ever thought it would be. Since that day, I have made small choices to love the woman in the mirror.  To believe I was worthy. No one taught me how to do that. I learned how. Let’s spend this fall learning how together.

I am pulling the following quote from my latest book, Embrace the 90%, as I think it helps relay the message.

“Let’s stop passing a mirror and seeing what we don’t like, and instead look right into that mirror and say, “I love you” to the person who stares back at you.”

You are worth it.