Loving yourself

Exercise for today:
Stand in front of the mirror and really look at yourself. Look into your eyes. Really focus on YOU. Then look yourself in the eyes and say "I love you (fill in the blank with your name)" ten times. Say it slowly and continue to look at yourself. For some it may be difficult at first. But keep going. It will get easier and then benefits are so worth it.

Sometimes we lose sight of how important it is to love ourselves. And more importantly, to acknowledge that love.

My five year old daughter came home from school upset today. Her "best friend" at school has been mean to her lately. She has been telling Zoe (my daughter) that no one loves her. That no one is her friend. And she has been whispering to other children "don't like Zoe". In turn, the classmates have been telling Zoe they do not like her.

Whew! I do not like seeing my daughter in so much pain. She was in tears today and does not understand why her friends are being so mean. I think I hurt as much as she does. One never wants to see their child so upset. And where is the teacher? Is she aware of all this activity?

So I sat Zoe on my lap, wiped away the tears (even though I think crying is wonderful - it lets out all the junk), and we talked about friends and self love. I explained how sometimes friends will be mean or say mean things. I told her to always be nice to others, but not to stand their and just take it all in. Walk away when friends are not being nice and tell the teacher if it continues. My husband (Brad) and I will, also, talk to the teacher tomorrow morning. She is only five so we want to make sure we completely understand what is going on.

But most importantly, I told her that she has to love herself no matter what. "Mommy, Daddy, and Phoebe (her sister) will always be here for you, but you have got to be kind to yourself. Love yourself." I, also, told her she was smart, beautiful, nice, funny, and so sweet...like the honeybees....I tickle her and get a giggle...We are going to do the exercise posted above.

As a child, I had very low esteem and often was picked on for being "too nice and too smart". I spent many nights crying at home because classmates were mean to me. I remember the pain. It was not until high school that I started to gain confidence. And in young adulthood (after years of therapy), I finally realized that I had to love myself. If I did not love myself, then there were going to be issues. I truly believe that it all starts from within. You have to be comfortable with your core being. So love yourself no matter what. Your life may be swirling around you, but do not lose site of who you are and how much you love and honor yourself.

Follow up to exercise:
In honor of loving yourself, try the exercise posted above. Pay attention to how you feel during the exercise. Note whether it was easy or difficult to tell yourself "I love you". Think about why it was easy or difficult. Try the exercise on several occasions. See how it feels.

The first time I tried the exercise, I cried. I could not tell myself "I love you". And then I finally got the words out, but I could not look myself in the eyes and do it. And finally, it all came together. And now when I do it, I smile. I love myself.

When you ignite your spirit and love yourself, your body and mind will follow. You will feel the love throughout your body, mind, and spirit. You will have a feeling of inner calm and peace. Body, mind, and spirit will cherish the self love.

Enjoy and be well.