20 Spring tips to begin loving you

What an incredible morning!!

I am sitting here on my balcony with the sun warming my skin before starting work……..and loving how blessed I am to do this simple action; in a peaceful; healthy city; a place where I can give myself permission to just BE 🙂

(Which now as I write this; feels like I have champagne bubbles of energy floating around me!!)

With this sunshine moment – HELLO SPRING!!!! – It got me thinking, how much I have noticed of late; that as a society; we have slipped back into getting lost in the negative spirals of things that aren’t in our control.

What kind of negative spirals?

Well, Why someone doesn’t listen the way we want them too? Or how rude someone was to you in that line while waiting to get coffee!!?? Or why is it always so hard to get what you want? Or  why after trying so hard for so long; am I not losing weight? Or why is the service so slow? Or why is it so expensive to buy fuel???

These are just some of the things I have heard of late…

Is it that we have simply just forgotten, or is it that we have stopped acknowledging the beautiful world around us?

When did we start taking the most amazing gift of simply just living; of simply just being – just being us – you – me – for granted?

With so any different ways to “connect”with others happening at any one time… Do we really ‘connect’?

I have asked this many times over the last few months, as it feels like we have lost the ability to just connect in general not just to everyone else; but to ourselves, and sadly we have over the last few weeks lost so many incredible souls from this world and it made me wonder.

When did we stop nourishing ourselves?

And when did it become at a cost of losing ourselves?

The gift of being alive!

As most of you know my journey to loving myself has been a rocky road; a roller coaster and endless rabbit holes tumbles.

So many emotions; AHH moments; changes; breakdowns and triumphs! Looking back now; I LOVE all of it – I realised that it is all part of the journey… It is called BEING ALIVE!

Lately though there has been a significant shift to a world of contentment and peace, of incredible gratitude to my mind and my body on how far I have really come. With so much going on in the world; I find now that I no longer want to turn on the news and see more destruction or war… I know that I need to be more present in what I do and the impact that can have… I want to make a difference in the world; in how women see each other; how they see themselves; within themselves.

And that starts with me…

I am your reflection…

I know that there is a lot more to unpack; however the fear has been replaced by adventure and a balance that I haven’t had in a long time – nourishing myself in every aspect; not just in food or time or money or things.

So here are a few little things that have nourished my soul; my mind and hence my body over the winter months… A little thank you my body and my mind.

Thank you to you for reading; as I wanted to share these with you; to remind you to love the body you are in – no matter your age; shape; gender or position in the world.

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Loving you – starts within you 🙂

1. BREATHE!! Stop and take some deep breaths – right now – really breathe…..it is amazing 🙂 plus you will instantly feel better!

2. BE grateful – spend 5 minutes each morning just saying “Thank you” to your body 🙂

3. Celebrate all that your body can do!!! Work on a plan to achieve new levels of movement – whether it is a new yoga pose or jogging for an extra minute or doing an extra pushup or walking a different route to view a new part of your city.

4. REMOVE CAN”T & TRY from your vocabulary – You’ve got this – shift your mindset….one piece at a time – you have 1 life 🙂 enjoy it!

5. Acknowledge your own uniqueness – there is no one else in the world who is you or like you! HOW FREAKIN’ awesome is that!

6. Celebrate your success – share your wins – don’t be shy – how will anyone know if you don’t tell them 🙂

7. Tell the little voice in your head to get off at the next bus stop; YOU ARE YOU – defined by your personality; gifts and contribution to the world not your weight on a scale; your shoe size or dress size!

8. Do something for yourself that feels good – for me this week – a massage 🙂 oh and giving myself permission to sleep in!

9. STOP with the excuses – write down everything that is holding you back – and then read it out loud until you laugh at yourself – change the way you view the excuses – you just might surprise yourself.

10. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up; inspire you and have your back (by the way; if people try to pull you down; you are already above their level!)

11. When looking at FACEBOOK or Magazine – remember what you are seeing is someone’s end results – you haven’t seen the years of training; nutrition nor do you have that person’s genetics (and yes I know that it is also photo shopped as well)- so STOP COMPARING!

12.Recently I had a photo shoot (it was incredible!!!) I was very clear that I didn’t want any changes made – however I saw my scars and stetchmarks on my breasts in one of the photos and asked if that could be ‘touched up’ – the photographer smile at me and said “Every lady I have shot, has stretchmarks; it is a beautiful thing how women’s bodies adapt – so I can but then it is not you”.

13. I have discovered the fun in exercise and movement again – YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and since I have found it again – I noticed that – it is true- no one is actually looking at me while I am exercising (OK; yes my instructor is – she is great and is helping me modify in certain moves so I still get a work out but don’t aggravate my lower back) – everyone is focused on their workout – their results – SO who cares how much you sweat??!!!- it means that your body is working and moving!! Thank you body for working and moving 🙂

14. Stop turning to food to validate your beautiful self! I know for me; for so long food was used as a reward; (childhood) So why not find something else to reward yourself with; for being you – like a sleep in or a good laugh at a movie with a friend or some quiet time outside in the sun – I also want to you look at why the food is the comfort in the first place??
15. Give yourself permission to slow down live in the moment instead of jumping ahead……..(you know the old saying – fit your own oxygen mask first before helping others)

16. Start valuing you; for you! – When did stop trusting your choice – your intuition???? Write a list and work on one thing a day or a week if it is too much…..trust in your choice – you chose that reaction – take responsibility for it – STARTING RIGHT NOW!

17. Drink more water – Are you serious – YES I AM GOD DAMN SERIOUS!! Your body is made up of 75% water – replenish it – you won’t want to grab for the other things as much…..like the coke or the ice coffee or the wine….

18. Do something for a stranger – something little – like clean out your clothes or items in the house you don’t use anymore….give them to people who needs them – offer to walk your neighbour’s dog – For me – every few weeks I pick a bin in my apartment complex and I put it out for that person 🙂

19. Write a card or a letter to someone to acknowledge who they are for you – win – win – as you both feel amazing – or offer to babysit for a friend so her and her husband can have a date night……

20. Play your favourite music – DANCE – LAUGH – BE A SILLY JELLYBEAN – SING AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS! I danced around the house the other day just because and GOD it felt great! 🙂

21. BONUS POINT – When you look in the mirror today – SMILE – that beautiful; gorgeous; sexy; incredible being – SHE IS AMAZING and all she has wanted you to do is to love and accept her just as she is and once you stop fighting with her, you will be amazed at what starts to flow into you life.
Please share below what you are going to do today to nourish yourself. I would love to know.

Next week’s post – Excuses – a sheep in wolf’s clothing or a Wolf wearing PJ’s?….what are you really hiding?