For many, the holiday season can trigger worry, loneliness and depression. With social media on the rise, we have become more and more accustomed to facing outwardly while missing the golden opportunity to check in with self. Do not let another season of gratitude pass by without fully tuning in to your personal station. If you were step outside of yourself, would you truly love and value the person you have become? When I asked myself the same question, I realized I didn’t love myself unconditionally. Underneath the self assured bubbly person I’ve always been had become a person who at best “likes” herself under certain conditions. When did my relationship with myself become jaded?
I used to live, subconsciously, under the belief that if I’m my biggest critic, there wont be much room for outside rejection and no one’s standards are higher for me than my own. I’ve been an overachiever with extremely high standards most of my life. Yet, somewhere along the way, in pursuit of success, I stopped being my own best friend. My self love was dependent upon how much I had or had not achieved. Moreover, I’d found it harder and harder to celebrate the small triumphs along the way because nothing measured up to my ideals of perfection. It was like climbing a never ending ladder and never taking time to breathe much less appreciate the ability to even climb. I’ve finally begun to stop and admire the fact that while I’ve not reached the top of the ladder, I’m able to see I’m much further up than when I started by simply checking in with myself and how far I’ve come on my personal journey.
Once acknowledging certain bitter truths about things I needed to work on, the words of a friend rang true, I simply wasn’t keeping up with myself. Some plants require more light, water, and food. More often than not, our spiritual/emotional lives require A LOT of water to be healthy and blossom. You are the only one responsible of feeding your spirit. Having a solid inner life will provide more joy, light and emotional energy to share with others. Just as a flower needs daily water to grow, your soul needs daily affirmations and reassurance that it is loved and valued, by it’s biggest advocate, you. The happiness brought on by food, gifts and tangible items are fleeting. Even the sense of accomplishment that comes with personal improvements like weight loss, plastic surgery and promotions are fleeting.
The media is designed to make us believe we are in need of things to be complete. With so many subliminal messages, our soul is constantly being bombarded with toxic information. A golden rule amongst many different belief systems is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. How can we possibly love others, if our souls are starving from depravity and under-appreciation? We look for outside validation because we are deficient in the love we regularly practice towards ourselves. Reject the notion of selfishness being a bad thing. Take the time to work on your self esteem from the inside out. It is essential to your ability to fully love others and spread genuine holiday cheer.
Matthew 22:39
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
