12:39 p.m. - 2008-03-16
I KNOW HOW I LOOK BUT HOW DO I FEEL?
So how do you look? No, really.....how do you look....?
What do you see in the mirror? What do you dwell on? What makes you cringe? What flaws do you see?
"These are questions most of us spend our lives asking ourselves. You need to gently ask yourself these questions and you need to listen carefully to your answers. Better yet, when you look into that mirror you should ask..."how do I feel..... because THAT answer will influence how you really look more than what you wear."
According to Simple Abundance, we need to learn to accept ourselves. "We need to make peace with our bodies." We need to embrace the lines and the lumps and the bulges or the hair that never can be completely tamed.
"It takes a bit of doing, learning to love all our personal places. We must accept ourselves exactly as we are TODAY. Not tomorrow, or when we lose 10 lbs or find a perfect hair style. "Remember, acceptance is acknowledging the reality of the situation." "Most of us think of the other women as beauties, never ourselves."
Today, your personal mantra is "I am what I am and what I am is wonderful."
*****
Another essay is entitled LOVING YOURSELF INTO WHOLENESS.
"On the outside we may look as if we have our act together but on the inside...we all encounter those dark, stormy days when we feel very small, very fragile and very frightened. We could fall apart at any moment and break into heartwrenching sobs at a simple....'how are you?"
When this happens, and it will to most of us at some time, we need to be kind to ourselves, Our feelings are valid, our fears may be real." When and if this happens to you, remember your first duty is to love YOURSELF into Wholeness. Pamper yourself with simple pleasures and small indulgences. Remember the comfort drawer...go into it and find some small things to bring you a smile. A piece of chocolate, a scented candle, a bubble bath and fragrant lotion.
Maybe you can afford to get some take-out from a favorite restaurant. Maybe you could buy a small bouquet of flowers or a little plant. Maybe take an afternoon off work for a "mental health" moment and go to a movie. Or rent a couple of DVDs and make some popcorn. How about some ice cream instead of lunch? A walk in the park? How about saying "no" to the next request to do something?
"Yes..... you can say No. You don't have to do everything and be everything for everyone else. If you are at the point where you think you are going to break into tears or scream if you have to do one more thing, you're probably right." Start by saying, "No, I'm sorry but I have a previous commitment".
Of course, you do have a previous commitment. "Today you need to be there for YOU. Remember we did not lose ourselves all at once. But we recover authentic selves with one kind gesture at a time."
Take care of yourself as well as you take care of all the other people in your life.
The hardest task you'll ever do is to nurture yourself. What is so scary about putting yourself first on occasion? If you don't think this is true..."how many creative excursions have you been on this last month? Have you stocked a comfort drawer yet? What about the hope chest or the toy box? Have you worked on a journal or written the daily dialog pages? " Hmmm. Well, neither have I.
All these actions would mean we really want to make some changes in our lives. We all know how we feel about changes. It's scary!
Today, make a list of 10 nice things you can do for yourself. Just 10....and select one and do it TODAY!
Now, make your own list. I am sure you can think of something you would enjoy.
