It's February. We are one month into 2021, the days are slightly longer and the vaccines are being distributed. We are beginning to see the light at the end of that proverbial tunnel. We are on the right track and this month we celebrate ...
Love!
February has always been a month to celebrate your special someone. Well, at least the day as we know it today; Valentine's day has a somewhat dark origin however. Thankfully, we had Chaucer and Shakespeare to help romanticize the day, as well as Hallmark helped it gain popularity and of course, the rest is history. If you would like to explore a little history on Valentine's Day - check out the NPR article here.
So... What is love? You could love your spouse, you could love your child, you could love your pets, you could love a best friend, you could love your job, and if you are lucky enough, you have realized how to love the most important person in your world... You! There are different types of love, but this one is the most important love affair we will ever have. And to think some of us won't even give themselves a chance. Let's measure how much we can love ourselves...
You love yourself enough to... fill in the blank here. i.e. I love myself enough to eat healthy foods. I love myself enough to make time for exercise. I love myself enough to accomplish the goals I have set forth in front of me. Have you ever taken yourself on a date? Yes! YOU! Just you! A movie? Dinner? Maybe a simple cup of coffee with a good book and a Starbucks within Barnes & Noble will tickle your fancy. Let's ask a question: What have you done for yourself lately? Some people will tell you that is being selfish. I would tell those same people it is not being selfish, on the contrary, it is self preservation! I am not telling you to go and spend all your money on yourself and your family goes without necessities, I am simply stating you need to be sure you are balancing how much of yourself you give away vs. how much of your time you allow to nurture yourself.
So how far can we take it? I love myself enough to allow myself a good laugh, sometimes at myself. Sometimes we take ourselves so seriously we miss out on things that may be right in front of us, allowing us to simply enjoy life. We are too busy criticizing ourselves, telling ourselves we are not good enough, we are too fat/too skinny, we are not confident enough, we are not as pretty as (fill in blank here) or we don't deserve to be happy (or that is another instance where you can fill in the blank there) - you don't feel you deserve... (what?). What is holding you back? We need to learn to lighten up a bit in order to allow time to enjoy ourselves, laugh a little, and have fun. We need to know that we are perfect human beings, no matter what we feel our "faults" are. We are exactly who we are supposed to be in every moment of our beautiful lives.
With that said, what does fun mean to you? It will be different for everyone. Fun does not have to be big and expensive, keep it simple. Watching the sunset, or maybe the sunrise. Spending time doing a hobby you haven't spent time on in a while. i.e. painting, journaling, reading, what about taking a nice relaxing bath. What about going for a long walk. Where do you live? Is there a safe place to walk right near you? Maybe a hike? A park possibly, what about walking around your own neighborhood? Walking gives you more time to appreciate your surroundings. Test it out. Drive down a street, and see what you notice, now walk down that very same street, what did you notice? The same? or more? My guess will be more. Yes, I have done that test many times. It's... fun! Now - those who know me know I am all for a drive, but we are moving so fast sometimes, we miss out on certain things, we miss the simple things; and 'Life's Simple Pleasure's' are so easily overlooked. A walk around your neighborhood allows you to meet your neighbors - this could become a lifelong friend, you never know. Choose one thing right now you would like to accomplish that will bring a smile to your face!
So, we talked about loving yourself and making sure you are nurturing yourself. There were takeaways from the post, did you jot them down? Peruse the post again and take notice. Take the time to notice. Take the time to honour yourself. Slow down enough to smell those roses (hopefully one you have bought yourself! ;)
I hope you are home and safe through today's Nor'easter! I hope you have a loving February, and foster the relationship you have with yourself! And most importantly, I hope you are having fun!
STAY TUNED: In March - to celebrate Spring - and all things new... We will be scheduling a 'Be Well (group) Coaching Session'. Details to follow.
Be Well,
Mary-Anne
