You Deserve the ALL the Love
It tickles me so much when people meet me for the first time, before I even say a single word, they don’t think I am actually what I am. Meaning most would never guess that I am almost 30, with a 5-year-old on my own, and have gone through a whole marriage and divorce.
It’s the way I look nothing like what I’ve been through.
Knowing and learning about my story and the continuous journey I’m on, (learn more here) you find that what I choose to do regularly is an active choice to nourish and take care of myself, mind, body, and spirit. It’s an intentional choice to continue to show up for myself and give the love that I so freely give because I’m worthy.
Naturally, when we start thinking about loving and caring for ourselves, we think modern-day pampering. That may look like massages and facials, getting your nails done, getting your hair done, going to your favorite restaurants, or simply doing absolutely nothing. While all of these activities have luscious benefits attached to them, I invite you to see if your love can run a little deeper.
Recently, I read something somewhere that described this thought that self-care is a component of self-love, although not all self-care results in self-love. aaaaaand like.. 🤔yes, I think we’ve all been guilty of interpreting the two for one another. Think about it.. If you’re not actively setting aside self-care just because it is essential to your well-being, then it’s probably because something has already happened that made you feel like you need to do something for yourself to make you feel better. It’s probably been something like an instance at work that made you feel undervalued, a breakup or some sort of huge argument, family drama, or like anything that’s been making you feel mad stressed. Because of that stress that we feel, a lot of times, we find this ability within ourselves that inevitably sends us down a path of self-indulgence when we engage in activities that are more about suppressing our feeling of not being “enough” rather than about truly feeling good and being simply because I am that.
It’s so crazy too because here we are in February, the month of love and also Black History month, right? Yet it’s been such a struggle over time as I’ve experienced February itself every year to love myself simply because I’ve valued myself enough to do so, despite what might be considered a flaw. See it’s this concept of “enough” that is important to know what it simply means to love ourselves.
Earlier I said that I don’t look like what I’ve gone through, but I had to go through some things that ultimately challenged the way I loved myself and showed up for myself during those times of adversity. These times compelled me down a path of self-acceptance because anything that I go through isn’t what defines me. I’m still human. I make mistakes, and I can’t control everything that happens in life. I can only control how I react and move forward and treat everything as a lesson and blessing for the opportunity for growth. It’s what’s allowed me to understand that while progressing in any area of my life is important, there’s ultimately no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow because the course of our lives is a journey, not a destination.
The processes have allowed me to put into focus that despite anything I go through, I am still worthy. of love. Those past experiences have always in some way or another made me feel as if I was only meant to receive love under certain conditions. Even though I’ve always understood love to be unconditional, because I am always whole and enough to give and receive love at any time, and because it is so is why I choose to so intricately care for myself the way that I do. From working out to my food choices to the people I connect and have relationships with, everything I do today and every day (though some days are easier than others) is all an act of self-love and compassion because when I love well, I can be well, and do well in anything that I do which is why I love doing what I do because it is with this seed that I’ve sown that allows me to pour into those that I work with and love on so that together we can provide more love into the places and spaces that this cold world has turned it’s back on.
If you could use a little more lovin in your life, check out my latest instagram post here and I encourage you to sign up for a free consultation to see how my programs can help you bring even more love into your life for you and by you.
