February is the “love” month and a perfect time to reevaluate our relationship with ourselves. The key to having a really fulfilling relationship with another person is in learning to love our self first.
Consider for a moment that we are living in giant petri dishes and that we are the cells growing within that environment. If the petri dish provides a happy environment, the cells thrive. If we, the cells, are in a negative or unhappy environment we grow abnormally or die off. So, which environment are you living in? What’s your petri dish up to?
Now consider how we can create a happy environment so those cells may thrive. We do this by loving ourselves. If we rely on others to make us happy, we are setting ourselves up for frustration and disappointment. If we take responsibility for our own happiness and learn to love ourselves, then, and only then, can we truly find inner peace.
Now that’s a pretty tall order when we live in a society that primarily focuses on finding happiness outside of ourselves. We allow the weather, the real estate market, how much money we make, and the people with whom we share our life to dictate how we feel. In other words, we live in reaction mode and our expectation is that external experiences will make us happy. In reality, if we can assume that responsibility instead of relying on things outside of us, then we can regain control of our own happiness. We have no control of any situation if we let someone else be responsible for our feeling state.
So how do you practice self-love? Some simple starting places are: 1. Speak kindly to yourself. 2. Take time to turn off life and tune into your own power through meditation. 3. Figure out what makes you happy. 4. Be grateful for the present moment no matter where you are in life. 5. Eat food that makes your body function well, sleep to restore your health and exercise to create energy and healthy endorphins.
Treat yourself the way you would treat a loved one. Be conscious of your self-deprecating words and thoughts. Remember, your thoughts are more powerful than your actions. We have to re-frame our thoughts and turn them into gratitude for our experiences.
What really makes you happy? Start with an inventory of the little things and work your way up being as specific as possible. And as you build and bring awareness to what you love, practice feeling immense gratitude for what you have in your life in this present moment. If you appreciate where you are no matter your situation, you will continue to attract abundance. If you wish to be somewhere else you will attract scarcity.
Love is truly felt when we feel it from ourselves first; anything else lacks authenticity and sets us up for disappointment. Give yourself the gift that keeps on giving – you!
Contributor: Erica Nasby
The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. None of the information presented is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
