Point to Ponder:
Do your words, actions, and choices represent your best you and self-love.
Throughout the month of February the journal focus has been to love yourself, which comes in many forms. From receiving a compliment, identifying what you need and giving it to yourself, to confidently acknowledging, claiming and using your unique qualities and gifts—these are all ways that allow us to love others, share exactly who we are and be more joyful, grateful and effective in all of life's endeavors.
Loving ourselves wholly and therefore living our true self is not always easy, as it's based on our daily decisions and influences, such as: the things we listen to and read, the people we spend time with, the actions we choose, the things we say "yes" and "no" to, as well as the words we speak. They all have significant power and impact in our lives, which is why we need continual positive reinforcement and reminders, such as iGnite and other great friends who believe in you, are invested in you and want to see you be your best you.
I recently watched the movie Wonder and it is fabulous--so much wisdom and goodness for all ages. The movie was filled with countless great quotes, with my favorite by RJ Palaceo, "You can't blend in when you were born to stand out." While those inspiring words were spoken to Auggie (the main character who was born with facial deformities and preferred wearing an astronaut helmet so he could hide his face) I believe the powerful quote is intended for all of us and translates to this: Loving ourselves means we fully embrace all of who we are, which gives us the ability to share ourselves and stand out in our unique ways.
Frankly, I don't think loving yourself means you have to like everything about yourself, like in any relationship. I had that realization this week while scanning my body in the mirror during a yoga class, having to increase my font size on my iPhone and seeing a head full of gray hair that desperately needs coloring. Truthfully, I don't like my inner thighs right now (and honestly never have but really don't now) but I am grateful they got me through a hard yoga class and contribute to my movement everyday. As for loving them, I can either accept them for how they are now and start loving them, or work to change them and love the results of hard work. I'm choosing the latter. As for my declining vision and graying hair, well...I'm just going to love that I have great options, such as cute glasses, contacts, and getting my hair colored. Besides that, I can't change a darn thing and that's ok!
Finally, I recently found this beautiful self-love affirmation by Virginia Satir. I think it fits perfectly with our monthly theme. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and also hope you can fully embrace you, be you, share you and stand out!
I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it — I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes.
Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know — but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me.
However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me.
Action Item:
Be you, embrace all of you and start loving all of who you are. In the areas you aren't satisfied, start making changes and then stand out by share your amazing you!
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