Just say Yes!

 
How do we define Self-Care? Is it a hot bath, a walk with a friend, a yoga class, a good book, etc.? One thing for sure, in order to fully say YES to life, we need to first learn how to put the “oxygen mask’ on ourselves. We are important, we do matter, and making time for ourselves is essential to our well-being. To illustrate, meditation is a beautiful way to slow down, be in the moment, and practice Self-Care. Once inner peace and joy settle into our core, joy shines everywhere, as a result, we cannot help but radiate these feelings outwardly. Daily Meditative Self-Care can help us turn inner awareness into outer activity. These actions prompt us to see ourselves differently, which in turn prompt others to see us differently. That being said, Self-Care is NOT selfish. In saying YES to life, we are choosing to make ourselves a priority. We are choosing to live our best lives.

Abundant Gratitude,

The Value of Positive Affirmations

Louise Hay is always stressing the value of positive affirmations.  She  frequently talks about how every thought is in fact an affirmation whether it’s positive or negative.

When I started putting her work into action, I began to notice all of the negative affirmations I was using in my life. Some being deep rooted beliefs from my parents, such as “We don’t show off , don’t draw attention to yourself and never, ever brag…about anything”, which contributed to my self deprecating humor. Once I started to truly hold myself accountable for the voices in my head, I realized how much more I needed  to take tender loving care of myself. Then a friend of mine said to me as I was telling him about feeling pulled in many directions…Be the flagpole, not the flag. Wow! The image of the flag whipping about, at the mercy of the wind, rain and elements of life really hit me. I got it!

Be the flagpole…not the flag!

Striving to be the flagpole that stands firm, stands tall and does not succumb to inevitable winds of change….made all the sense in the world to me. That image alone helped me review who I want to be and how I want to move through the world. So while flags are beautiful pieces of fabric that represent identity, beauty, culture, freedom and reverence, I am striving to be the unwavering strength that holds all the beautiful attributes of my life in place. Not to live at the mercy of any and all of the internal and external elements that challenge my inner peace and dignity.

It takes awareness, practice, love and patience but when feeling like I might go twisting in the wind again, I recall the image of the flagpole, regroup, state my affirmation, and move confidently into the next moment of my life.