"I believe the children are our future,
Treat them well and let them lead the way.
Show them all the beauty they possess inside.
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier.
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.
...
"The Greatest love of all is happening to me.
I found the greatest love of all inside of me."
Music by Michael Masser
Lyrics by Linda Creed
Maybe one of the most important ways that you can teach anybody about the greatest love is how you love yourself. As you may be aware my motto is, "self-love is the bottom line."
People can see how I love myself in many ways, and recognize it as an option for them.
What if self-love really is the greatest gift?
What if your role modeling of self-love is the best teacher for somebody to love themselves?
What if nothing matters more than you taking regular steps to love yourself more?
I know..."what is self-love" is a question for some people. What does it look like, mean? How do I know if I love myself?
Here are some things to consider:
1. Being kind is a form of love - so being kind to yourself is a way to express self-love, especially in how you talk in your mind chatter
2. Being tender is another perspective - what if you look at yourself through the filter of "I feel so good when I tender with myself"
3. Appreciation is another form - appreciating myself is the BEST and most significant way I express self-love
My very close friend Dawn Nocera taught me about self-appreciation in 2014. It has changed my life...really. The daily practice, which is different from gratitude, has supported me accepting my flaws, difficulties, parts of me that I have felt challenged to love. One step at a time.
When she first shared the concept, I was "all in". I have a lot of confidence and was willing to apply it to appreciating myself. Oh, boy...what a gift.
I went from holding back my artistic expression to understanding that cards I make, for example, are real gifts to people. It serves not only me and my pleasure (which is a self-love thing), it also serves the people receiving my art. And I don't have to be attached to their response. It's not self-loving to hold it back.
Another area where self-appreciation has made a difference is my willingness to be more vulnerable, like stories I share sometimes in my newsletters/posts. The more I love myself, accept myself, appreciate myself, the more vulnerable I can be because other people's opinions aren't a reason to stop me from sharing.
Like my last newsletter which was all about my leadership roles. People could have thought I was "bragging" and had a negative response. Not my problem. I trusted myself to share it. It was vulnerable because I am self-appreciating that aspect of who I am and publicly doing so.
One last example of how self-appreciation on a daily basis has changed my life is permission to trust my intuition even more. I've had a fairly strong relationship with it for decades. And since I began self-appreciating it, honoring it in a group where it's being witnessed, the more I find I trust it and live by listening to what my intuitive side knows is for my highest good. Plus, I use intuition with clients and friends. Life is so much easier trusting intuition.
So how about being a role model, for children, friends, family, clients, co-workers, strangers...of self-love, self-kindness, self-tenderness and self-appreciation?
Love
Pamelah