10 Ways to Love Yourself More

During the month of February, thoughts turn to love. It’s delightful to be in love with that special someone, especially when spring is around the corner and love is in the air. Yet having a significant other and being in a relationship isn’t the only way to find love.

Loving yourself is much more important!

Self-care is a buzzword these days, but few people talk about self-love, perhaps because we aren’t taught to love ourselves. In fact, we’re taught the opposite—that loving yourself is selfish.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Loving yourself is one of the best things you can do for yourself! When you love yourself, you have greater self-confidence, a higher sense of self-worth, and you are able to experience greater grace, peace, and joy in your life.

So, what exactly is self-love?

Self-love is fully accepting yourself, treating yourself with patience, kindness, compassion, and respect. It’s nurturing your personal growth and overall wellbeing. Self-love is knowing that you’re doing the best you can and thinking about yourself in a positive and loving way.

It’s making sure you nurture yourself first, so you have the time and energy to be there for others. The relationships in your life are a mirror of your relationship with yourself, so loving yourself enables you to love others more deeply. 

10 Ways to Love Yourself More:

1. Practice positive self-talk.
2. Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes; instead, think of them as learning opportunities.
3. Remember you are doing the best you can.
4. Leave the past where it belongs—in the past.
5. Forgive yourself.
6. Give yourself permission to say no.
7. Make time for what makes you happy.
8. Notice and appreciate your efforts...and remind yourself of your worth.
9. Cultivate self-acceptance...love yourself just the way you are.
10. Don’t compare yourself to others...instead embrace beautiful, unique you!

On this Valentine’s Day (and this week, and next week, and the next...) shower yourself with all the love you deserve. You deserve it...remember, there is only one beautiful, unique you!

“You have within you more love than you could ever understand.”–Rumi

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This blog was written by Chris Clifford/Sedona Hutton, bestselling author of stories with uplifting themes and inspired ideas.

Photo by Averie Woodard at Unsplash.

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Transformed by Fire—Rising from the Ashes to Find Myself 

by Chris Clifford:

Work left me exhausted and lost. When everything I owned went up in flames, rethinking my priorities changed my life forever!

Reader Review Excerpt: “...a true story about finding strength and purpose even in the worst situations...Chris is like the Phoenix...she rises from the literal ashes, helps heal her family from trauma, sets an example for all of us to follow, and through all of this, finds true inner peace.”

Amazon Bestseller! Available now: https://amzn.to/3RawJBR

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THE PERFECT LAP by Sedona Hutton:

His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It’s sweet, inspiring, and a love story about two people and three children that find hope, their own voice and realize that family doesn’t have to be blood-related.”

THE PERFECT LAP is an Amazon Bestseller and a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/3Hx86w4

10 Strategies to Keep it Together When Your World is Falling Apart

 

Hello beautiful readers,

It’s been a long time!

Last year my husband almost died and my world crumbled. He is blessedly better now, although still on the road to recovery.  Looking back, ten key practices helped me keep it together when it would have been easy to fall apart.

10 Strategies to Keep It Together When Your World Is Falling Apart

1. Transcend Fear – While Sean was in the hospital, doctors and other specialists often gave us a long inventory of everything that might be wrong, tossing out scary words like septic, kidney failure, and oncology. When this became a trend and anxiety arose, I reminded myself that fear is simply, “Fanaticized Events Appearing Real,” and imagining every scenario that could go wrong wasn’t serving us. I asked the doctors to share what they knew instead of every scary outcome that could occur. With this new process, our fears subsided.  
2. Focus on the Now – While Sean was in the hospital, my motto became, “In this moment, all is well.” I defined “well” by the basics… he was alive, he was breathing, and as time passed, he was getting a little bit better every day. Staying focused in each moment helped me remain positive and hopeful.
3. Use a Mantra – I came up with a couple of statements that I repeated over and over in my mind. These included the above referenced, “In this moment, all is well,” and “Things will get better; they always do.”
4. Be Grateful – Even in the darkest of moments, I found I had something to be grateful for. Some days, it was a stretch, but when I focused on my husband’s breath, gazed at a tree in bloom, pet my dog or appreciated the warm spices in my tea, I felt an immediate lift.
5. Question Everything – I asked myself questions every day. Some of my favorites: What is the evidence that this is the worst-case scenario? Are there other scenarios that are more hopeful? What is the evidence that nothing will change? Are there other possibilities that are more positive?
6. Practice Positivity – Even though Sean was in the hospital for over a month, every day, we looked for blessings. When we looked, we found them…even on days when we received bad news. Instead of imagining all the scary stuff that could happen, we imagined healing, full recovery, and great wellness. Shifting our thoughts from scary to positive made us feel better, and I believe it contributed to Sean getting better, too!
7. Ask and Receive Help – For many, it’s hard to ask for help. I used to struggle with this, but I’ve come to realize no matter how strong a person is, there are times when one needs help. I wouldn’t have made it through this situation sane without the help and support of so many people. Sometimes help comes from unexpected sources. I learned to say, “Yes…I need help…Thank you!” For example, my daughter’s best friend moved in with me to dog-sit and cook while I spent nine hours a day at the hospital. Later, our niece moved in to help after Sean was released from the hospital with very limited mobility.
8. Take Care of Yourself – While it’s natural to put all of your time and effort into that big thing—here, I’m talking about my husband’s illness, but in the past, it’s been a large project, a critical deadline, or some major event—avoid doing so. It’s critical to take care of yourself, too. Every day, I took time to do something that renewed and restored me—I ate a special lunch, sat in silence next to a nearby creek, took a walk in the fields with my dog. I also got up early so I could meditate and exercise. The old saying is true…If your cup is empty, you’ll have nothing to give to others.
9. Have Faith — For me, this was two-fold. First, I had to believe my husband would get better, and he had to believe, too. If you don’t have faith, it’s nearly impossible to materialize your desires. The second part is to look to a greater power for love, guidance, and support. We prayed. We asked God, our spirit guides, and the angels for help. I love the expression, “Let Go, Let God,” which reminds me there is a higher power who will help, but only if I ask.
10. Fake It ‘Till You Make It – This cliché worked wonders for me. On some days, repeating my mantra fell flat, and practicing positivity and having faith was a challenge. On those days, I faked it. The simple act of faking it caused me to find a glimmer of hope, which expanded and over time, evolved into a beacon of light.

At some point in our lives, we all experience trials and tribulations. It’s my hope that these practices will help you through the next bump on your road of life.

Peace, Love, and Joy,

Sedona

 

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Accepting What Is (Even the Flu!)

This blog was recently featured as a guest blog post on Leonard Tillerman's website: https://t.co/O33cob1gPx.

Last week I came down with the flu. I had hot and cold flashes, a sore throat, a runny nose…the whole gamut. In my miserable state, I attempted to think positive thoughts to will away my sickness, but my body mocked my best efforts.

Resigned, I stayed in bed for a couple of days. When I finally summoned a smidgen of energy, a new awareness emerged. It felt good to rest!

For many of us, November and December are busy months. I’ve been visiting kids and grandkids, working, writing, decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping…the list goes on and on. In the middle of my hustle-bustle, at the most inconvenient time, I got sick.

When I told my mother I had the flu, her response was simple. “Maybe your body just needs rest.”

Huh.

Pondering the idea that I’d caught the flu because my body recognized my need for rest, the concept of acceptance surfaced. It’s easy to practice acceptance when things are going my way. It’s much harder to accept what is when things aren’t as I want them to be. But perhaps practicing acceptance is every bit as important—maybe even more important—during challenging times.

In one of my favorite books, The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon, there’s an entire chapter dedicated to acceptance. Simon states: “When you resist what is happening in this moment, you are resisting the entire flow of life. I encourage you to practice acceptance of this moment, because considering what you are up against (the entire universe from the beginning of time), resistance is unlikely to be successful.”

Instead, Simon suggests accepting what is in every moment. Accepting what is doesn’t mean you want to stay where you are, nor does it mean you shouldn’t take action. However, when you acknowledge and accept where you are, it creates an opening for new ideas and alternative choices that can help you move toward that which you desire.

In the past, I’ve resisted my sickness. I’ve chastised myself over doing too much, eating poorly, and not exercising. I have questioned my judgment over traveling, attending a holiday party and shopping on the busiest day of the year, exposing me to countless sick people. But the self-judgment only made me feel worse.

Bemoaning our current situation or blaming ourselves or others releases negative energy and attracts more of the same. Instead of resisting what is, practice acceptance, which allows for a positive energy shift. If you don’t like what is, determine if there are alternatives or steps that will help you achieve your desired state. Practicing acceptance brings inner peace.

“Accept—then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it…This will miraculously transform your entire life.”—Eckhart Tolle

Going forward, instead of beating myself up, I’m going to practice acceptance. I will accept my flu, cold, or whatever bug I might have, without blame. Instead, I’m going to view my illness as a gift of rest, relaxation, and detox.

“If I could define enlightenment briefly I would say it is the quiet acceptance of what is.”—Wayne Dyer

Recommended Books:
The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2
The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle: https://amzn.to/2QQSxFU
10 Secrets for Success & Inner Peace by Wayne Dyer: https://amzn.to/2QQReH5

Disclosure: The above links to the recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, Sedona Hutton will receive a small commission on the sale. She is recommending these books because they’ve been meaningful to her personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, they need to be identified as affiliate links.