Self-Love 101 Mary E. Pritchard, PhD, HHC EmBody Heart and Mind, LLC
Do you love yourself? What does that even mean?
What is Self-Love? Self-love is the unconditional love and respect you have for yourself that is so deep, so solid, so unwavering that you choose only situations and relationships including the one you have with yourself that reflect that same unconditional love and respect. Christine Arylo Think about what this means. You respect yourself so much that each of your relationships reflects that same unwavering unconditional love and respect OR YOU DON T REMAIN IN THAT RELATIONSHIP
Now think about the relationship you have with yourself The relationship you have with yourself is the MOST IMPORTANT relationship in your life. If you love yourself, there is no need for you to fit into someone else s image of what a beautiful, intelligent, successful woman is. There is no sacrifice, no apology of being you, no settling for less. If you aren t willing to make sure you are happy, loved, and well cared for, then how can you expect anyone else to?
Do you love yourself? Let us count the ways
Isn t self-love the same as self-esteem? Self-love is comprised of: Self-awareness & honesty: You know who you truly are and who you are not, and you have an unwavering commitment to truth about how your actions, thoughts and choices affect your reality and the people around you. Self-acceptance: You like who you are, and you don t compare yourself to others, or wish you could be someone else, including a younger version of yourself. You adore and appreciate who you are, including your body. You acknowledge yourself, often. Self-care: You make sure you get what you need every day on all levels emotional, physical, spiritual every day, without guilt, sacrifice or needing to be a martyr. You don t over-work, over-give or over-do.
Isn t self-love the same as self-esteem? Self-compassion & self-forgiveness: You open your heart to be a loving witness to yourself, without judgment, by sending yourself waves of kindness, understanding and forgiveness that touch, heal and transform your imperfections and humanness through the presence of your unconditional love. You don t have a constant criticism or perfectionism machine running in your mind. Self-trust: You listen to and follow the guidance of your inner voice, believing that you know what is right for you even when other people think or say otherwise. You trust your inner wisdom over conventional wisdom. Self-esteem: You have a strong belief in and regard for yourself, a strong confidence in your ability to do and be anything and you believe your gifts are valuable.
Isn t self-love the same as self-esteem? Self-expression: You let the world see you, fully, truthfully and without apology or holding back. Full, free expression of your heart and soul. Self-empowerment: You take charge of and responsibility for your life by acting to create the life you really desire, without apology or requiring approval from others. Self-respect & self-honor: You only make choices that respect and honor the sacred soul that you are, especially in relationships. You only have loving, respectful relationships.
Isn t self-love the same as self-esteem? Self-pleasure: You consistently create, receive and experience joy, no matter how much work there is to do, ensuring always that your soul is fully fed and nourished. Self-worth: You value yourself immensely based on who you are inside, not on what you achieve, amass or what other people say. You know what motivates and drives you, and you are not motivated for a need for outside validation, recognition, approval, affection, etc. You live your life by your internal value systems not those of society or other people. Self-appreciation: You love, value, and acknowledge yourself for both what you do and who you are. You re not afraid to pat yourself on the back.
Isn t self-love selfish? I think most of us grew up with the belief that doing things for ourselves is selfish, that if we were busy enough, we wouldn't have time to engage in frivolous activities like getting a massage. Yet: 1) no one else will take care of you, and 2) if you don't take care of yourselves, you ll have nothing left to give. Wynonna Judd once said: "You have to fill your cup. You then give away the overflowing, but you keep a cupful for yourself." Choosing to make sure that you get what you need on all levels - physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally - every day." that s keeping your cup full. And getting a massage every once in a blue moon - isn't cutting it.
Self-love 101 It s time to focus on you on putting yourself first - so you have enough left to serve others. So that your cup is not only full, but overflowing. And in doing so, you ll be able to serve from a place of gratitude, love and abundance, rather than from a resentful or obligatory state. And that s something we can all benefit from. I challenge you to do this: spend some time each day taking care of you, showing yourself love and appreciation for all you do. That is, do something that makes your soul sing something just for you. Don t take the kids with you. Don t invite your significant other. This is YOU time. If that seems daunting, start with 5 minutes a day. Then 10, then 20, then 30. You get the idea.
For More Information FREE Telecall: Self-Love: The Path to Inner Happiness (It s Time to Put YOU at the Top of Your Priority List) Sign up here: http://awakeningthegoddesswithin.net/feb-telecall/ and I will email you the recording and link to the handouts FREE Telecall: Self-Love: Falling in Love with Your Body (Yes! It s Possible) - March 12 th, 2014 6PM MT Sign up here: http://awakeningthegoddesswithin.net/march-telecall/