Here’s a question for you. Have you met you?
As women we fall in love with babies, movie stars, our pastor, lovers, friends; everyone it seems except ourselves. Questions that start with “what is your favorite anything can baffle us because most of the time we have not bothered to figure out what brings us joy. An invitation to purchase a woman’s only gift box that would not only soothe the senses but transport you to a place that is exclusively yours is often shrugged off as frivolous.
Falling in love with you, as Sarah Ban Breathnach says in Simple Abundance, is to live in your own light. That translates to knowing what you love and consciously practicing motivational self-care. This is not only important for people in general but essential for women who it seems were designed to be caregivers. Although knowing what you love should be a no-brainer, for most of us it seldom is. For instance, if you could choose a Lavender Bath Soak or Golden Goddess Body Oil would you immediately know which one screams you?
Women on a mammoth scale are pulled in multiple directions. Between other people’s demands and the should and should nots that plague our days, our needs are too often what gets left behind. A huge part of “falling for you” is giving yourself permission to explore your needs. Isn’t that what we do when we “fall in love?” So, what are you waiting for? Get to know you. What are your idiosyncrasies, are you a night or day person, how do you handle stress and here’s the rub - who are you? Once you can answer some or all of these questions, begin to embrace all aspects of yourself. Remember to give yourself time. Some parts of you may not be so lovable; it’s important to love it anyway.
Here are five suggestions to help you start the process.
- Pay attention to that intuitive voice within. It is the only voice that speak absolute truth that is specific to you.
- Create comfort zones. Consider Geoffrey Beene’s quote that says, “Comfort itself is a luxury.” One of the best places to create a comfort zone for a woman is in her bathroom. That’s where for most of us, the beauty rituals happen. Nothing and this is meant in the purest sense; is more luxurious than soaking in a bath filled with expertly curated scents, a hair mask and heavenly candles glowing in a semi-darkened room.
- Find out what arouse your senses. Sites like HER-MINE are designed by women to browse for products that call to them. For an even more satisfying experience, support other women by purchasing from companies that support women owned products.
- Establish habits that feed your soul. This may require getting rid of some unhealthy patterns of behavior before you can habituate new ones. Think about anything that does not contribute to your health and well-being. You know what they are. For instance, instead of spending multiple unchecked hours before the television or on your phone every day, why not take thirty minutes of that time to exercise. Take a walk or sit in the silence so you can reconnect with yourself and answer some of those pressing questions.
- Be gentle with yourself. Gradually reshape the way you look at yourself and live your life. Slowly, reduce the amount of time or consumption of things that hurt rather than help you to live your best life.
Always remember that everywhere you go, there you are. This is not a relationship you can divorce yourself from. You’ve got the rest of your life to spend with yourself so you might as well make it a relationship worth being in.
The time to prioritize yourself and self-care is here. Get your Her-Mine box today. They’re designed to remind you to relax and practice self-care. All items in our self-care lifestyle boxes are filled with products from women-run businesses. If we didn’t love the products ourselves, we wouldn’t send them to you! Fall in love with you and put self-care back in your life this month.
About the Author
K.O. Samuels is the author of Onslaught, Unveiled Emotions and The Easy Way to Feng Shui. Learn more about her at kosamuels.com or follow her on Facebook.
