📑 Director’s Review: Reflections on the Journey So Far

Date: 16 August 2025
From: Director of Self Love
To: All Departments
Subject: Month One Reflections & Ongoing Mandate

As the Department of Self Love passes its five-week mark, I’ve reviewed the field reports, departmental updates, and even those unofficial Slack messages that somehow end up in my inbox. Beneath the humour and memos, certain truths keep surfacing — patterns I think we all know, but often forget to honour.

1️⃣ Pausing
I used to think stillness meant falling behind. Now I see that space isn’t a gap to fill — it’s oxygen. I’ve learned to let moments breathe without rushing to “do” something.

2️⃣ Healing
When my foot pain flared, the old me would have powered through. Because… that’s what I do. This time, I chose to rest. It felt strange at first — almost guilty — but my body thanked me with steady recovery.

3️⃣ Discipline
Overseas visitors, birthdays, catch-ups with old friends — the table was always full. I set myself the challenge of a 72-hour fast, not certain I could do it. I did. The real win wasn’t the finish line, but proving to myself that I could honour a commitment to my own wellbeing.

4️⃣ Milestones
This month, I graduated with a 6.75/7.00 GPA — my first postgraduate degree, and the first in my family. It’s a milestone I’ll carry not just as an academic achievement, but as a reminder that perseverance compounds over time.

Looking back, I realise each of these lessons came not from chasing more, but from slowing down enough to notice what I truly needed.

So… what is self love, really?

It’s not just bubble baths and pep talks. It’s the quiet courage to give yourself what you actually need — rest when you’re tired, patience when you’re healing, boundaries when you’re stretched, and celebration when you’ve earned it.

The Department is still in its infancy, but the learning is endless. I’ll keep experimenting, experiencing, and sharing what I find. I hope you’ll keep walking alongside — at your own pace.

End of briefing.

Sincerely,
Director of Self Love
“Charting progress, one human moment at a time.”