In life we encounter many different relationships and experiences that can cause a lot of pain in the mind, body, and spirit. It is definitely a journey of healing and triumph that we all must undergo. I am always guided to the essentials that allow me to find growth, healing, truth, and power. Forgiveness has been one of those tools I've been able to, not yet master, but actualize. My idea of forgiveness came from, Marianne Williamson and her teachings of A Course In Miracles. One of the many books that have changed my life. She described the practice of forgiving yourself for every moment, and in turn freeing yourself of the worry of lack from even a second ago. I thought that was pretty amazing. I am that girl who reruns my every encounter in my head word for word, action for action, gesture for gesture. (Imagine the Black Mirror Episode 3 The Entire History Of You.... that's me!) To be able to live in a space of constant forgiveness and allowing oneself to be free of anything other than the present moment, is such a gift. It is a skill, but it is beautiful even if mastered for a day or a moment.
As I look back over the course of my life at actions or encounters I've had, there are moments where I can be very hard on myself. Which is when I have to check my self talk. A friend today said, "Be gentle." It was so important for me to hear and she probably doesn't even know how hard that hit me, but it was so important to be reminded. Be gentle with myself. It is so important to love on yourself. No matter what! Anything that I'm yearning for is pulling at my own leg. So if I'm yearning for respect, I must ask myself, how can I respect myself today? My yearn for commitment... how can I commit to myself today. My yearn for affection... how can I show myself affection today? While in the shower after work I thought. I must honor her. I must honor the girl I used to be. Not just forgive her, but honor her. In all her glory. I honor her decisions, I honor the way she felt, I honor her actions, I honor her every encounter. And today I must honor me as well by loving on myself as much as I can. So I am taking a 23 Day Self Care Challenge (that I snatched off of Pinterest) and I encourage any and everyone who could use a little self love (as I'm sure we all can... I mean you can never have too much love) to join me! No pressure, start when it feels right for you. I will share my journey as I go and please feel free to share yours as well in the comment section!
Day 1 | Write down 10 things you are proud of.
Day 2 | Take a mindful walk.
Day 3 | Go for a run or try practicing yoga.
Day 4 | Try to cut your self some slack today.
Day 5 | Get a good night sleep.
Day 6 | Make a homemade meal.
Day 7 | List 10 things you are grateful for.
Day 8 | Create a mantra for yourself.
Day 9 | At the end of the day round up 5 things that went well.
Day 10 | Ditch multitasking for a whole day.
Day 11 | Meditate for 10 minutes.
Day 12 | Do a Brain Dump.
Day 13 | Make yourself a breakfast feast.
Day 14 | Listen to your favorite music.
Day 15 | Run a hot bath or have a hot shower.
Day 16 | Unplug as much as you can today. Stay offline.
Day 17 | Call a friend to catch up.
Day 18 | Declutter.
Day 19 | Listen to a positive podcast.
Day 20 | Do crafting.
Day 21 | Journal.
Day 22 | Wear your favorite clothes! Stop waiting for an occasion!
Day 23 | Treat yourself!