Hello and Welcome to Episode 35 of ‘Tuesday Choose Day’, your inspirational weekly post.
My aim here is to inspire you to feel more positive and more confident within yourself so you can find your way to overcome anxiety and create the change you want to happen in your life.” I’m offering you here every Tuesday straight to your inbox empowering strategies to help you to take control, feel better and feel good!
Today’s Inspiration To Brighten Your Day…
There are a few songs around just now about loving yourself. It feels like the world is catching on to the value in this. Today more than ever the personal development industry is huge and opportunities to explore your potential appear boundless.
Wouldn’t it be just if everyone took notice?! If the millions of people just like you, took the right action today. And what if you took that action and learned how to really love yourself?
We’re not talking vanity or conceit, or even narcissism, but rather appreciating and valuing the good in you. I dare you to dream for a moment of what would happen in the world if all the people became a true best friend to themselves… What if people respected themselves enough to heal their pain and to grow to honour and respect not just themselves, but others too. Just think how many wars would be prevented… how many relationships and friendships would be saved… how many children would grow up free from abuse. All these atrocities happen every day to good people by people who are damaged, who are hurting and who need love. This is a mission that I bring to my work every day. If you are not loving yourself today… the ripple effect may well begin with you!
So how can you take those vital steps and learn to be kind and loving towards yourself?
Accept yourself just as you are, with all your flaws and imperfections. Trust that you are doing the best you can with what you know, with how you feel and with the resources you have available to you just now.
Don’t beat yourself up with self criticism and harsh words. Self loathing might just be a bad habit you’ve picked up along the way. Ask yourself if you would treat your child or your pet the way you treat yourself?!
Pay attention to how you define yourself. ‘I am..’ are two of the most powerful words you will ever use. If you describe yourself in a negative way, you are weaving your words into your identity. So make sure that phrase is positive and encouraging. Ensure that you focus on what you want to be and feel, and NOT what ‘you’re not’, nor how bad you feel.
Realise that it’s actually OK to love yourself. Give yourself permission to learn how to do this. A recent client suffering very low self esteem commented that she had grown up absorbing a belief from her father that it’s not good to love yourself, that if you love yourself and let your light shine, you are playing to your ego and you become vain. She learned his religious interpretation that it was ungodly to love yourself! We’re not talking vanity here – that’s the extreme and its conceit is borne from insecurity. No, here we’re talking about befriending yourself and learning to trust in yourself enough to speak the truth about you. You can choose to speak your truth to yourself by positive self talk and to others in a quietly confident way. This of course in the words of Marianne Williamson, gives others permission to let their light shine too.
I wonder if you could imagine a clone of yourself and how this clone of you can be your best friend, loyal and loving and just wanting the best for you. Doesn’t this clone of you deserve to be loved in return? Imagine which kind words you would choose to say to the clone of you within you…
Until next time
With love and light x
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From the Wobbles and Worries Mailbox…
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Lisa Skeffington, Anxiety Expert – Anxiety Help Bournemouth