Love: The Sweetest Ingredient

One of my clients, who I will refer to as Maggie, went through a period last year where she felt completely drained, totally stressed out and extremely overwhelmed. “I don’t know what to do!”, she exclaimed to me during one of our sessions. “I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall.”

I encouraged Maggie to remember the importance of self-care. We live in a hectic, fast-paced society. There’s always something going on, whether it be working, social activities or taking care of our families. In the midst of our busy lives, we tend to overlook how crucial it is to care for ourselves, too.

Think of self-care like a yummy recipe. It requires several key ingredients in order to turn out just right. These include the right amount of sleep for us, healthy foods, exercise, time spent around supporting people, and plenty of inspiration in our lives. But there’s one ingredient that really makes this recipe truly magnificent.

The sweetest ingredient in the self-care recipe is self-love. If we don’t love ourselves, we aren’t going to bother to care for ourselves in the first place because we don’t feel worthy of doing so. Just as God cherishes each of us, we must also learn to cherish ourselves and give ourselves the best possible tender loving care. Being busy people, this is not always easy to achieve. Here are a few tips to help you to give yourself the love and attention you truly deserve.

• Don’t beat yourself up! Ah yes, the blame shame game! We’ve all done it. “Gosh, am I ever stupid.” “If I had only done this differently.” Or, my personal favorite, “But I’m not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough”, etc. What are you achieving by beating yourself up over past events? You’re simply making yourself feel worse, and that will only decrease your motivation. Why not try forgiving yourself instead? Say to yourself, “Tomorrow is another day, and I can learn to do things in a way that I can appreciate and in a way that makes me feel better about myself and my situation.” Look into a mirror and remind yourself that you are a beloved child of God. Tell yourself, “I have the courage to make positive changes in my life.” Find the support you need to help you to shift your attitude from negativity to empowerment and contentment.
• Next, treat yourself! Engage in an activity you enjoy, at least once a week. This doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. You could take a stroll through nature’s splendor, cuddle up with a good book, or volunteer for an organization you appreciate. As long as it brings a smile to your face and a song to your heart, that’s what’s important.
• Finally, reach out! The power of friendship to bolster our confidence and remind us how wonderful we truly are is huge! Have you ever had someone say to you that you made their day or that you made them happy in some way? How did that make you feel? Did it make you feel better about yourself and your importance in the world? That’s part of the wonderful power of friendship. When we discover how much other people love us, it helps us to love ourselves more, in the process.

In closing, let me share a great website link with you. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. This site is called the Automatic Flatterer. Get ready to smile!Click here!If you’d like some extra help in learning to love yourself more, I’d be honored to witness and explore with you as your coach.Together, we can find tools and techniques to help you recognize just how lovable, beautiful and incredible you truly are.

I wish you all the love in the world.

NOTE: This article will appear in tomorrow's Heartsong newsletter. Check out the Heartsong archives, and subscribe here!

Lots of Love,
Kim, the Spiritual Fulfillment Coach