Ahhhhh- Ever just need to stop and remind yourself to breathe? I find myself doing it more and more, whether it’s because I make myself so busy, or I get frustrated easier these days, or a combination of both. Breathe, Baby, Just Breathe.
Breathe with me…Big Inhale…Hold it…and Exhale. Ahhhhh- doesn’t that feel great?
Two words have been constantly brought up in my life lately- Trust and Respect. Over and over. I don’t know if I’ll get to both tonight, but both of these words, both of these lessons are definitely a theme for me and they’re here because I need to address them thoroughly and immediately.
Let’s start with Respect. I seem to be clamoring on about this lately. “He doesn’t respect me”, “My kids don’t respect me”, “No one respects my stuff”. You get the picture. Is all of this true? Heck yeah. Do I have a reason to be angry? Hell yeah and it’s about time!
But hang on a minute- My small voice (there I go again with the voices) reminded me this weekend during one of my “grumble under my breath” sessions that our outside world is a mirror of our inside world. Could it be that my REAL issue is self-respect? It’s really easy to complain about how other people aren’t respecting me or my stuff, but I don’t respect myself?! OUCH!
I can’t even call this an “AHA” moment. This one has to go down as a “Well DUH” moment. I overwork, under-eat, poison, never sleep, down talk, second guess, and otherwise torture myself- and I complain about what other people are doing to me?!
And what the heck is this whole self- respect thing and how do you do it? Well, I could start by not over working myself, eating healthier, getting my rest, positive self talk, trust my instinct, and otherwise stop torturing myself. Piece of cake, right?
Inhale…hold it…Exhale…
This is not just me either- so many people are suffering from a lack of self respect. Is it that we don’t have time anymore in our “gotta have/gotta do it now” lives? Is it because there’s no pill for it yet? Ugh.
Let me put it a different way. I have a great best friend. I love her to death. I speak to her kindly, I listen intently when she speaks, I support her unconditionally, and I love her for exactly who she is. I have her back when she needs me (even when she doesn’t), and while it breaks my heart to see her in pain, sometimes I’m just the shoulder for her tears.
What if we treated ourselves the way we treat our best friends? What if we treated ourselves the way we treat our children, mothers, sisters, and yes, I’ll say it- our pets? I know it’s easier said than done, but I know women who respect themselves. I see the light in their eyes. I hear the peace in their voices. And I see the way it overflows from them onto everyone they come into contact with. I want to be that way. I want to infect people with peace, love, inspiration, and respect. I know these women have to work at it, but they are doing it- and they do it for themselves first, not for anyone else- how freakin’ awesome is that?
So, I’m going to start small (of you believe that, you don’t know me) and work with my last post: rest, recuperation, and rejuvenation. I’m not talking about being lazy, or a spa trip (come on, why can’t that be a light bulb moment?! giggle). I’m talking about listening to my body, listening to my heart, and listening to my soul. Not just hearing- actually listening. When my body says, “slow down”, I’ll slow down. When my heart says, “stop”, I’ll stop. And when my soul says “Breathe” I’ll…
Inhale…hold it…Exhale…
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
And I will trust, but that is another topic for another day.
Breathe with me…Big Inhale…Hold it…and Exhale. Ahhhhh- doesn’t that feel great?
Two words have been constantly brought up in my life lately- Trust and Respect. Over and over. I don’t know if I’ll get to both tonight, but both of these words, both of these lessons are definitely a theme for me and they’re here because I need to address them thoroughly and immediately.
Let’s start with Respect. I seem to be clamoring on about this lately. “He doesn’t respect me”, “My kids don’t respect me”, “No one respects my stuff”. You get the picture. Is all of this true? Heck yeah. Do I have a reason to be angry? Hell yeah and it’s about time!
But hang on a minute- My small voice (there I go again with the voices) reminded me this weekend during one of my “grumble under my breath” sessions that our outside world is a mirror of our inside world. Could it be that my REAL issue is self-respect? It’s really easy to complain about how other people aren’t respecting me or my stuff, but I don’t respect myself?! OUCH!
I can’t even call this an “AHA” moment. This one has to go down as a “Well DUH” moment. I overwork, under-eat, poison, never sleep, down talk, second guess, and otherwise torture myself- and I complain about what other people are doing to me?!
And what the heck is this whole self- respect thing and how do you do it? Well, I could start by not over working myself, eating healthier, getting my rest, positive self talk, trust my instinct, and otherwise stop torturing myself. Piece of cake, right?
Inhale…hold it…Exhale…
This is not just me either- so many people are suffering from a lack of self respect. Is it that we don’t have time anymore in our “gotta have/gotta do it now” lives? Is it because there’s no pill for it yet? Ugh.
Let me put it a different way. I have a great best friend. I love her to death. I speak to her kindly, I listen intently when she speaks, I support her unconditionally, and I love her for exactly who she is. I have her back when she needs me (even when she doesn’t), and while it breaks my heart to see her in pain, sometimes I’m just the shoulder for her tears.
What if we treated ourselves the way we treat our best friends? What if we treated ourselves the way we treat our children, mothers, sisters, and yes, I’ll say it- our pets? I know it’s easier said than done, but I know women who respect themselves. I see the light in their eyes. I hear the peace in their voices. And I see the way it overflows from them onto everyone they come into contact with. I want to be that way. I want to infect people with peace, love, inspiration, and respect. I know these women have to work at it, but they are doing it- and they do it for themselves first, not for anyone else- how freakin’ awesome is that?
So, I’m going to start small (of you believe that, you don’t know me) and work with my last post: rest, recuperation, and rejuvenation. I’m not talking about being lazy, or a spa trip (come on, why can’t that be a light bulb moment?! giggle). I’m talking about listening to my body, listening to my heart, and listening to my soul. Not just hearing- actually listening. When my body says, “slow down”, I’ll slow down. When my heart says, “stop”, I’ll stop. And when my soul says “Breathe” I’ll…
Inhale…hold it…Exhale…
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
And I will trust, but that is another topic for another day.
Here's a treat- since it goes with my topic AND it's just sooooo classic!
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