We are all on a journey each unique and personal. Some of our journeys we are on for the first time. Some of us, well we have been here before. Both are challenging and exciting all in the same breath.
Most personal journeys are a path of self-discovery. Sometimes this path is all about new and exciting. We try and we accomplish things we never knew we were capable of; and sometimes this path can bring up feelings we didn’t know were buried inside of us. Childhood traumas, past relationships, pain; both physical and emotional. These emotions and feelings are not unusual. They are all part of the process of cleansing, purging and creating a new you and we all have them. So while sometimes we convince ourselves that our journey is going to be a breeze, it rarely is. All changes within us come with some baggage. Emotional, physical, spiritual, they’re all in every cell of our body.
During the time, possibly years that we are packing all this baggage, many things occur. We learn to enable or we find someone to enable us, we build walls, rationalize behavior and habits (even ours), we cut ourselves off from social interaction, sometimes we take on the role of victim….in other words, we disassociate. Often we even leave our bodies. Sounds freaky right? Living outside of our body (while still in it) allows us to somehow tolerate the emotional and/or physical pain we are in. It allows us to continue to function without the need for changing behaviors or being present in our lives. It allows us to live ‘somewhere else’ in our minds and bodies.
So, while self-discovery is an amazing journey it’s important to allow ourselves to actually live and BE PRESENT through the process. How do we do that? By learning to ‘receive’. Learning to love YOU through SELF-respect, SELF-acceptance and SELF-care. Believing in YOU and what you are capable of. Accepting yourself where you are today with no expectations other than your goals for the day. Not putting an extraordinary amount of pressure on yourself so that you are sure to fail. Self-care, what does that mean to you? Rest, time alone, prioritizing your goals. Making time for yourself, realizing that you are important no matter where you are along your journey. That you will get to your goal in your own time and learn to love YOU and accept YOU along the way. Doesn’t that feel better than “I HAVE TO GET THERE!” I MUST WIN!” “SUCCEED OR DIE!” Of course it does. Self-love is the most valuable asset you will ever gain along a journey. It will serve you and be with you in every area of your life from this day on. ALLOW your journey to be a process. The ‘process’ itself will give you time to adjust, integrate and reevaluate whatever you encounter.
Some suggestions I find valuable for ‘self-care’. Massage, Energy Healing, pedicure, get your hair done (and don’t be afraid to step out of your box with it), acupuncture, spiritual counseling, psychological counseling; there are so many ways to make yourself feel ‘cared for’ and ‘special’ to yourself, VALUED. Experiment, it may be as simple as driving to a new city and going to a museum. You may want to set up a monthly appointment with one of the above suggestions. Whatever you decide let it come naturally. Don’t make it a mission; allow it to be a pleasure.
You can find Robin at her website: A Healing Art!
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