Loving Your Mind
The month of love, and on everyone’s lips (besides smooches) – Self-Love. Self-love has finally reached the big screens and we’re in the front row with a big box of popcorn.
Soundtrack to the opening credits, by John Lennon – “Imagine all the people, living life in peace, oh-oh-oho”…
We’ve been seeing a lot of info around self-love, related to spoiling the body, taking a bubble bath, having a glass of wine, relaxing – however we’re shifting focus loving your mind as a primary source of self-love.
It’s hard not pass judgment onto yourself and to not see self-love as an ego thing. With all the pressures of the perceived image of perfection, to be successful, to please everyone, to get more likes, gain more followers, use less filters (– or more for that matter). How do we get to more balanced expectations of ourselves and decide where to place our energy?
Forgiveness. Forgiving yourself for the negative thoughts that come into your mind, realizing that it’s not who you are. We often feel not good enough, based on what others say or do, without realizing this comes from within ourselves. We are the ones handing over that power, allowing ourselves to go down that rabbit hole and accepting as if it’s true – that, well maybe I’m not good enough. When we forgive ourselves for these thoughts, we’re letting them go and creating space for more valuable and positive mind-thoughts.
Non-judgement. Try to listen to your thoughts and to others without passing judgment, like hearing that ego voice saying, “they must think I’m incapable”. Take a listen and feel the emotions that arise through conversation without reacting. So, they are giving you advice from their point of view – why label it and give it a negative identity? If a situation is making you uneasy in any way, listen to it, accept it and let it pass through you because you are so much more than that moment. You do not need to act on it.
Spending time with you. Books and Netflix aside, it’s you-time now. Getting to understand your true self is kind of an art. It’s not the simplest thing to sit by yourself, listen to your thoughts and choose to be too much in your own head. Take a listen, what is it telling you? What thoughts are coming up? Are these thoughts worth your sovereign energy or are they simply fear based? You’ll likely find that the mind is rambling on – until one second it doesn’t anymore, it stops, there’s clarity. Meditation is a great way of addressing these mind thoughts, allowing you to filter and swipe left on those negative thoughts.
Express your energy. The life energy that is you inside your body has a yearning to express, be it through exercise, dance, getting your hair done, hiking, getting a tattoo, having a foodie experience, interacting with others by talking or smooching or anything that uses the body, vocals and brain activity. Although you are not your body, we use it as a tool to guide us, to play with and to build with. Get jiggy with it, allow your creative self to be, without the need to box yourself.
What makes you feel light, easy, happy? Where does your flow lie? Experiment, experience and live.
When you give to yourself, you are giving to others because we’re all connected through our very being. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”.