Love Yourself First
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line” ~ Lucille Ball
When was the last time you put yourself first on your list of things to do? It’s probably been a while, hasn’t it? I want to encourage you to be kind to yourself and start giving yourself some of your own loving!
You deserve your love and attention more than anyone else. When you make time to care for YOU, you fill yourself with love and abundance which then overflows to those around you. For all you single sisters, only when you love yourself will you find love because how can anyone else love YOU- if you don’t love yourself first?
Initially putting yourself first will feel selfish and may make you wildly uncomfortable. Honour those emotions and then let them pass. It will get easier with a little practice.
Please don’t wait until your emotional or physical health is at risk to take care of yourself. You won’t be good to anyone if you get sick. The world needs you healthy to shine your light and spread your magic onto the world. YOU ARE IMPORTANT AND WORTHY, and deserving of your unconditional love.
So how do you break through the resistance? First you have to set the intention each and every day to make you your first priority. You need to commit time to nurture your soul and spirit.
For the women who have never made themselves a priority you are probably wondering how to even discover what fills you up- what do you need to feel loved? Do not be intimidated. It’s easy. First, find a quiet spot. Take a few deep breaths. Then put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, what do I need right now? Listen for your heart to speak. In the quiet you will hear the whispers.
I started putting myself first after a series of life altering events kicked me to the ground. I wish I could say it was a conscious decision. It wasn’t. I went from working and training for a crazy half iron man competition to a place where getting out of bed was my only goal for the day. For weeks I sat on the couch and stared out the window while my body and heart healed. And as I sat there I heard my heart’s voice for the very first time. (Pretty sure it was speaking before but I never actually stopped long enough to hear it.) I now know that going for a run, being on the water, or hiking in the forest nourishes me.
I’ve been practicing self-care for a while now and like any muscle you work, it gets stronger the more you use it. I no longer feel selfish when I leave my kids and work behind. I know that when I put me first I come back to my family and my work bubbling with more joy and love for everyone in my life.
“Feeling energized and overflowing with love and happiness.” Doesn’t that sound good? It’s yours for the taking! Too often we silence the wishes of our hearts to the details of our days, only to become bitter and resentful.
So where do you start? Breathe deep sister. Take in that sweet oxygen and smile, as it’s your time to put you first on that list of things to do.
Your first act of self-love doesn’t have cost a fortune or be a huge time commitment. Research shows that when we set our action steps too big, we fail. Start small.
Today treat yourself to a walk alone, a manicure, or a beverage at your favourite coffee shop. Instead of racing to get groceries, or picking up the dry cleaning, just sit and breathe. You’ll start to feel yourself filling up with calm, as you slow down. Then follow through on the wishes of your heart. That could be anything- taking an African drumming class, visiting an art gallery, or cooking YOUR favourite meal for dinner tonight (chicken fingers be damned!). FIND WHAT MOVES YOU and then DO IT! No more excuses. I know you want to!
After your day of self-lovin, let me know what you did. I’ll share ideas in a future post.
With love, light and adventure,
Desirée