This past week I’ve been a little under the weather. It started with sneezing then onto the head and then finally to the chest. You know, the crud, not THAT C word.
Anywho, writing a new article is just not in my brain right now so I went back in the archives and found two writings that really resonated for the week of Valentine’s Day. These are from 2017 and I believe are still relevant today. I’ve grown in my own self-love however, it is a process and the deeper I learn to love myself the more I learn about what my needs are and how best to give and receive love.
Before you read further, I want to take the time to send you love, close your eyes and breathe in this love, it’s the all knowing all encompassing love – the kind that has no judgements. Breathe it in as often as needed, you are worthy, you are important and you are needed!
Learning to Open the Heart –2017
Quite a few years ago I was in a talk therapy session and the therapist asked me if I loved myself. I looked at her dumbfounded. I didn’t know how to answer. I’d hated or disliked myself for so long and believed so much of what had been said to me through the years. I also have a strong ego that was more than happy to “tell” me all the things that were wrong with me. My social anxiety at times was over the roof.
It was during that period of time I decided I would learn about loving myself. I took time to read books, from Journey to the Heart to Dear God, How Can I Finally Love Myself. I really started to look at those things that I hated about myself, and gently, ever so gently, started to let go of those beliefs.
The limiting beliefs of not being enough. Not a good enough mother, female, employee, daughter, human. The belief, if people only knew the truth of my crazy thinking. The conversations I would have with people and later on lament of how I should have said something different or just kept my mouth shut. The way I looked, my body, my hair, the clothes of just not being enough.
This process of discovery was like holding a new born bird. Being so gentle with it, loving it for the sheer joy of watching it grow and become all it is meant to be.
Crying and releasing the grief as the growth of my heart began to expand. Learning and allowing a new belief pattern to emerge. Realizing this body that my soul resides in provides me so many opportunities to experience this life! Learning the majority of people are so caught up in their own trials and tribulations they don’t have time to even pay attention about the things I thought they were.
Learning, when I judge someone else that it’s really me judging myself and limiting my growth and opportunities. If someone else judges me, it is their limiting belief in THEIR LIFE that is holding them back.
My heart has expanded in numerous ways in the last year. The vision I get at times is from the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You know the part, where the Grinch’s heart began to expand and grow. I can literally feel in the area of my heart an expansion of love. The love I feel for myself is continuing to grow each time I stand in my light, each time I ask for what I want, whether it be from a person or from the Universe. This love that I have inside is overflowing and because of this, I can give pure authentic love to others.
What ways can you learn to love yourself? Are you ready to feel and experience all the Universe is ready to give to you? Can you comprehend on some level that you are worthy of this love? Unconditional love is being given to you all the time, all you need to do is allow it to enter your being.
Self-Love –2017
So many times in our lives, we have believed that we need to give our love and attention to everything outside of ourselves. That is an unfulfilling way to live. If we are empty inside, how can we possibly give from within? It’s like trying to pour water from an empty pitcher, if you don’t fill the pitcher first, how can we share the abundance and love that we have from within?
Here are some self-love steps to take to ensure you are filling yourself first.
Be aware of your own beliefs. As children we are taught certain beliefs by adults and society. We believe these things because we don’t know any different. When something comes into your awareness, ask yourself, is this something I truly believe in or is this something I’ve simply accepted because someone told me to.
Be aware of boundaries. If you’ve never set boundaries before, people will react, because they want you to be or act a certain way. You may have always done things for others and not taken into account how to take care of yourself. If you aren’t aware of what boundaries are, do some research, there are some good books out there to help you.
Take time for yourself. Being a single mother when my children were very young, it was challenging to find time for myself. One of the things I learned is that self-care is so very important. Self-care can be something as simple as putting lotion on your body, taking time to sit quiet for 10 minutes at the beginning or end of the day, turning off the radio while driving just to have the quietness. It doesn’t have to be complicated or big snippets of time. The little steps here and there will nurture you more than you can imagine.
Be aware of the people energies around you. If there are people around you that zap your energy, minimize your time with them. If possible, remove them from your life. There are steps you can take to protect yourself from negative and low vibration energy. It’s nothing personal, even if they are nice people, if they drag you down emotionally or energetically you need to reassess them being in your life.
Provide yourself grace. You may have said or done something that your mind will continue to hit the repeat button to play the tape over and over. Stop hitting the repeat button! Allow yourself the opportunity to look at the situation and learn what the lesson was and then let it go. There is no sense in carrying that crud around. I’ve told clients, no matter how gorgeous the bag is, there is still garbage being carried in it. Let it go!
Live with intention. You will accept and love yourself more, whatever is happening in your life, when you live with purpose. Setting an intention for a day, month or year will affect the way you live your life. I use Guide Cards and pull a card every morning. This helps set my intention for the day and an awareness of how I choose to love my life.
What can you do for yourself today to show yourself more love? More kindness? More peace?
