Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Loving Ourselves
9:44 PM | 
Posted by
Lena Cain
Making mistakes used to be such a devastation to me. I remember all the judgment, embarrassment and shame that would arise in me. I remember wanting to crawl under a table and hide. In my mind, I wanted to run away from what other people thought of me. But in actuality, I was my own harshest critic! I would scold myself and rewind my steps, trying to see where I had gone wrong. I second guessed, critiqued and chastised myself. There had to be something wrong with me.
With all that churning around on the inside, why would I need anyone else to judge me for being human?
Over time, the choke hold I have had on myself has loosened. I have moved away from self-hatred and repulsion of my personality quirks. Of course my quirkiness still exists! I am not always on time, I often bite off more than I can chew, I overcommit, I rescue, I criticize, I am clutsy, and I am far from a concise storyteller.
But I have come to love all these parts of myself--as a matter of fact, I practice loving myself every day! I listen closely for self-critical self-talk and I turn it around. I write myself letters of encouragement when I am feeling down. I hold myself when I feel sad. I am there for myself--I have become my own best friend. And I have to say--this is the best medicine of all! If my friends and loved ones are all busy, out of town, exhausted, or sick, I still have ME.
The strength that this has given me in hard times is tremendous. I know that no matter what happens--in floods, hurricanes, famine, divorce, even death--I will still be here for myself. I believe in myself! I couldn't always say that, but now I can. And this relationship, the one I cultivate with myself, is the most important relationship of all.
How are you loving yourself today? What are you needing right now? Are you willing to give it to yourself? Open the medicine chest in your heart of hearts and give yourself a dose of good old fashioned self-love. Bask in your own beauty. You deserve it!
With all that churning around on the inside, why would I need anyone else to judge me for being human?
Over time, the choke hold I have had on myself has loosened. I have moved away from self-hatred and repulsion of my personality quirks. Of course my quirkiness still exists! I am not always on time, I often bite off more than I can chew, I overcommit, I rescue, I criticize, I am clutsy, and I am far from a concise storyteller.
But I have come to love all these parts of myself--as a matter of fact, I practice loving myself every day! I listen closely for self-critical self-talk and I turn it around. I write myself letters of encouragement when I am feeling down. I hold myself when I feel sad. I am there for myself--I have become my own best friend. And I have to say--this is the best medicine of all! If my friends and loved ones are all busy, out of town, exhausted, or sick, I still have ME.
The strength that this has given me in hard times is tremendous. I know that no matter what happens--in floods, hurricanes, famine, divorce, even death--I will still be here for myself. I believe in myself! I couldn't always say that, but now I can. And this relationship, the one I cultivate with myself, is the most important relationship of all.
How are you loving yourself today? What are you needing right now? Are you willing to give it to yourself? Open the medicine chest in your heart of hearts and give yourself a dose of good old fashioned self-love. Bask in your own beauty. You deserve it!
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