DAY 7 of 100 Day Self Love Affair

Hi everyone!

Today is Day 7 and what a week it has been! Even though I loved myself before, acting on my own behalf every day has been challenging and I would often do things in order to please others. Not big, but even little things, like going to an event because someone else asked me to go, but I would have rather sat on the couch or meditated. Sometimes I would want to please my tastebuds with not-so-healthy foods, so I would recklessly eat whatever it was I thought I wanted.

So, during the week, I have been focusing on actually DOING more of things that show me self-love , not just THINKING about it. Check out the video below where I share an exercise I created to help you and me to stay on track of the loving ourselves. This is not just for the #100DaySelfLoveAffair, it is for LIFE!

Here is what you do: PLAY!

Pause: Stop whatever you are doing. That’s all. Just pause and take a breath.
 
Listen: Listen to your body. Reflect on the situation from the outside looking in. What put you in this situation? How are you feeling at this particular moment? Do you feel physically hungry? Tired? Anxious?  What bubbles up to the surface when you allow your craving to exist? Do you simply want to dive into eating because you want to feel something on the emotional level? Pay attention to that feeling.
 
Ask: Be honest with yourself and ask the following questions: What do I really want? What am I really craving? Do I want to over-indulge or do I simply crave the taste and pleasure of a particular food? Would my action be a loving thing for my body and my being? Will this action show me all the love I have for myself? Will it nurture my body and spirit? Will the food/action satisfy my true craving?
 
Yes: It’s time for a positive affirmation. Say YES to yourself and do what will make you feel truly loved and satisfied. What will it be? Get creative. Turn up the music, dance, smell beautiful flowers, light up a fragrant candle. Call a friend to hear the voice of someone who cares about you. Make a list of activities that you are looking forward to doing. Do something to move you away from the unloving action on which you were about to embark. You will feel the answer come to you; from there, it’s your choice. Whatever you do, know that your choice is a powerful and conscious decision.
 
Sometimes eating the whole cheesecake may seem like the only thing that can save your spirit from falling, even if your body won’t like it. Trust me, I understand. In those moments, just observe the action and accept yourself as human.
 
Humans aren’t perfect. We make mistakes. That’s part of life, and it’s OK.
 
As long as your actions were fully processed by your being, just know that with practice it will become easier and easier to make the best choices for your body and your spirit. Soon, it will become a habit. For me, it’s now an automatic process that I don’t even think about.
 
You don’t have to strive for perfection. You don’t have to fit someone else’s image of what you should or shouldn’t be like. Have faith in yourself and trust that your desire to feel good is stronger than the desire to react to or rebel against something that happened in the past. The goal, quite simply, is to choose the most loving action toward yourself—and to feel good. Isn’t it what you want in the first place?
 
If the act feels selfish, then I recommend reciting this beautiful poem as much as you can. I heard it at Michael Bernard Beckwith’s Agape Center in Los Angeles.
 
I love myself so much
that I can love you so much
that you can love you so much
that you can start loving me
 
Try singing it out loud for 3 minutes, repeating the words over and over again.
 
If you need inspiration, check out Michael Bernard Beckwith’s archives and live streaming of their services at http://agapelive.com.

It is time to PLAY and to Let Yourself Blossom!

With love, 

​Alina