On the journey of self-love
February—the shortest month of the year, even on its longest days. It’s home to American Heart Month* and everyone’s favourite, Valentine’s Day. So it’s as good a month as any to start talking about self-love!
We’ll explore this topic in more detail throughout the month, starting with…
What exactly is meant by self-love?
Merriam-Webster defines it as:
: love of self: such that
An appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue
Proper regard for and attention to one’s own happiness or well-being
Inflated love of or pride in oneself
Okay…we might not want to nurture that last part, but the first two bullets sound like obvious and noble goals!
Why does self-love matter?
We’ll go into more depth over the next few weeks, but simply put, how we view, treat and respect ourselves influences how others view, treat and respect us. So if we can cultivate self-love, we can influence how we show up in the world, how we interact within it and how we cope with problems that arise from that it.
Can we influence self-love?
Yes! Self-love is dynamic and ever-evolving.
If we have a desire to love ourselves, a curiosity to know ourselves and an understanding of our duty to take care of ourselves (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually), then yes!—we can influence our love of self.
Over the next few Fridays, we’ll explore in more depth why we might struggle with self-love, what might get in the way and, most importantly, what are ways in which we can better nurture self-love.
A journalling exercise on love of self
I encourage you to journal on the questions or prompt below or to contemplate them on your next walk or during your next meditation session.
Why is self-love an important topic for you right now in your life?
How do you think your life would be different if you loved yourself more?
What do you currently do to practice self-love?
What do you currently do that gets in the way?
List five of each:
Reasons you are worthy of love
Mistakes for which you need to forgive yourself
Things you want to share with the world
For some of us, this exercise might be tough, and it might bring up some emotions for you.
Being seen, being heard, being supported can’t only come from outside of you. These questions and prompt might be the start of your seeing, hearing and supporting yourself…which is a huge step in the direction of self-love. Please honour that. Know that these feelings are informational, they are not you—get curious about them, acknowledge them, share compassion with them as you might if they were the feelings of a friend.
Know that I see you, I’m here for you and I’d love to hear from you. Email me if desired.
XO
*Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Please learn more at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association and your doctor’s office.
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