Love Yourself Enough To…

With the every day hustle and bustle that life tosses at us, the
average woman is still nothing short of  Superhuman. Juggling your
career, your kids, and your spouse with one hand and “everything else”
with the other, it’s easy to forget about the most important part of the
entire equation: YOU. It’s so easy to find yourself exhausted,
irritable, and sometimes even a little bitter when “you time” isn’t
scheduled on to your already long list of things to do! I believe that
loving yourself goes beyond self acceptance and being positive about
yourself, and extends to celebrating who you are and treating yourself
the same way you treat other people you love: with consideration and
awareness to their needs. Just like you know when to put your kids down
to bed when they’re getting cranky and how to give back rubs to your
partner when he/she looks tense, it’s not a bad idea to apply the same
responses to yourself when you feel you need a break. After all, you
deserve it! I want to encourage and remind you to find time to do some
of the things I’m about to mention. You’ll be shocked at the difference
they make in your daily lives and relationships. 

Love yourself enough to say “no” (or at the very least not right now). When
your life is about everyone else (family, spouses, friends, and
bosses), it’s very difficult to find enough time to even take a
emotional stock and make sure that you are getting everything you
emotionally need throughout the day to keep you balanced and happy. Your
spirit will tell you when it’s time to sit your ass down and breathe.
LOL! Be sure to listen. When you do decide to “take 5″, 
remember that this is your time. Do not allow others, to take away even a
nanosecond of your 5, it may be the nanosecond you need to fully
recharge. If you are going on vacation, leave your phone if it’s even
for an hour a day with someone else so that you can truly relax. If you
have friends with emotional drama and baggage, it’s ok to ignore them
for a few hours or a day (depending on how bad their situation is) so
that you can really, truly, be present. Your boss can wait until you
return on Monday. Seriously. I know this may all sound a bit selfish,
but nothing will slow you down faster and make you sicker than
neglecting to truly remove yourself from stressful situations and
relaxing.

Love yourself enough to not feel guilty about it. Let’s be real here: you’re a fantastic mother, you kick ass every day at your 9-5, and you make miracles in the kitchen and the bedroom on a regular (woot woot). And you do this all while looking incredible and not missing a beat! Why shouldn’t you
stop and smell the roses? Nobody is saying the you have to fly to
Jamaica with Whoopi Goldberg, sporting box braids to unwind, but take an
hour to go get your nails done, or do them yourself! Take yourself on a
date and have lunch in a booth with a good book and amazing meal. Treat
yourself you a matinee and an entire bucket of popcorn! If you’re
strapped for cash, throw on your ipod and go for a walk, sans kids, sans
hubby, just you and your thoughts. Leave your guilt at the house with
them so that you can truly enjoy yourself!

Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle. Bottom
line is, how we take care of ourselves today effect how we look and
feel tomorrow. You owe it to yourself and those who love you to be here
as long as you possibly can. Treat yourself like the valuable asset that
you are! Eat better and stay active! Remember what I said about walking
to get away from it all? Yup, nobody is gonna give you a side eye for
wanting to stay fit!

Remember that when you are rejuvenated, refreshed, and happy, it
makes you better at all you do in every aspect of your life. As the glue
that keeps it all together, there’s nothing wrong with doing a little
emotional maintenance every now and again!