Love on Yourself More Than You Love on Others: Self-Love is the Best Love
How many people say they love themselves but have a hard time showing it? There are so many songs promoting self-love, but do we really follow through on it enough? We all know the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup,” but oftentimes we continuously do for others before we do for ourselves. Intentional’s focus of the month is self-love, & we’re making sure you take time out to love on yourself through another 31 Day Self-Care Challenge. It’s only right we venture down through the journey of self-love before the end of 2023.
Guilty As Charged
Me; that’s me! I’ve been known to be the Queen of Putting Others First. There have been times that I’ve literally run myself sick because I’ve gone so hard for everyone around me. And when I say ran myself sick, I mean just that: I was bedridden & only really able to move to use the bathroom & barely eat. My energy was in the negative. Everything hurt, all the way down to my hair. I was down bad!
As I got older, I realized that self-love ran deeper than me liking myself & accepting my flaws. It included choosing & taking care of myself. Gone was the chick who let her suitors do as they pleased without consequences yet remained ride or die. The person who was agreeable to almost anything just to avoid conflict disappeared. And the one who let people say anything to her got unalived. I recognized I needed to really love myself & SHOW IT!
Now don’t get me wrong, I still have my moments when I’ll work crazy hours because we’re short-staffed, or go without new shoes because my kids want something, or not eat the last bit of ice cream because my man likes it. However, I’ve learned to balance those moments by prioritizing myself more often than not. More importantly, I learned IT WAS OK to put myself first.
Get Your 💩 Together, Girl
Let’s just say my tribe helped to empower me to prioritize myself. I don’t have any weaklings around me, so I expect nothing less than giving it to me straight up, no chaser, raw & uncut. I want my people to set me straight anytime I’m off the chain, & boy have they made me sit down when they knew I need to the most.
It’s much harder to recognize things, especially the not so good things, from the inside. Therefore, you should take heed when others call you to the carpet, most importantly when the ones in your inner circle do. They have a way of seeing things you might not, & that different perspective can get you on track to be better than you currently are. It doesn’t always feel good, but that doesn’t mean the person delivering the message doesn’t mean well. Your gang gang has your back!
The pandemic helped me to put more time into prioritizing myself. Without having to commute, I wasn’t as tired because I saved about 90 mins a day to do whatever. We couldn’t go anywhere without extreme protective measures, so I started some new habits. The home gym aka the Torture Chamber became our hangout. I found some great yoga sessions & dance workouts on YouTube. I tried new recipes. I read more & discovered podcasts. At home spa days were done on a regular basis. And I was urged to start Intentional. All of these became things that helped me to minimize my stress levels, & I still incorporate them (minus the Torture Chamber for now).
So Now What?
What do we do? We participate in the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge, that’s what! This time around, things are a little more focused on getting ready for a new year. We’re going to spend time outside enjoying the beauty God has created. We’re going to spend more time getting our households & finances together. We’ll get up & moving but also take time to rest & unwind. And why not start clearing out room for some more beneficial relationships?
If you haven’t gotten your copy of the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge for October, send us a message at [email protected] so we can email it to you. It’s FREE, so why not take advantage of it? Don’t forget to save the email address so it doesn’t go to your spam mail. Let’s start loving on ourselves in all kinds of ways this month!
