“Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, and healed." - Brenee Brown. The Power of Change Change can often be likened to a tsunami. According to National Geographic, a tsunami is caused by seafloor movement due to an earthquake (shaking), landslide (a falling away), lava (heat, fire), or meteorite impact (force). That first movement causes massive change. What are you willing to change to create a shaking in your family and future family, a falling away of anything and everything that is toxic, a burning away of negative mindsets, and such an impact that your great grandchildren feel it? By now we are beyond just talking about change every day, we are implementing things to create that change. Believe it or not, it doesn't have to be big things, one small change in the right direction can create a lifetime change. The Importance of Soul-Care Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about doing what's best for you. This is the essence of soul care. It's about putting what’s best for you first. It's about repentance, deliverance, and walking in freedom. Self-Care: More Than Just a Buzzword “Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.” – Deborah Day. Self-care is often misunderstood. It’s not just about pampering yourself, but about nourishing your body, surrounding yourself with positive reminders, practicing the art of saying no and learning to say yes. It’s about having compassion for yourself and others. Self-Acceptance: Embrace Your Shadow Your life will be transformed when you make peace with your shadow. The caterpillar will become a breathtakingly beautiful butterfly. You will no longer have to pretend to be someone you’re not. You will no longer have to prove you’re good enough. When you embrace your shadow you will no longer have to live in fear. Find the gifts of your shadow and you will finally revel in all the glory of your true self. Then you will have the freedom to create the life you have always desired. -Debbie Ford You Are More Than Enough One of the biggest obstacles to self-acceptance and self-care is managing shame and negative self-talk. If you put shame in a petri dish, it needs three things to grow: secrecy, silence, and judgment. If you put that same shame and douse it with empathy, it can't survive. Similarly, you need to manage your negative self-talk. A majority of what we say to ourselves is negative. It is so important to make sure you are implementing a way to cancel, clear, delete these negative thoughts. Prioritize Self-Care Pillars There are eight pillars of self-care that can help you manage shame and negative self-talk, namely: Nutrition, Hydration, Rest, Movement, Connection, Environment, Mindset, and Meaning. Remember The 90/10 Rule We spend a lot of time focusing on what's wrong with us. The 90/10 rule helps us focus on the 90% of our strengths and the 10% of our weakness. Spend a few minutes every night thinking about or journaling your wins. Did you fold all the laundry? Finally master a meal, call a friend you've been thinking about? This helps to change your perspective and focus on the positive aspects of your life. Change The Things You Can, Radically Accept The Things You Can't No more complaining, comparing, compromising. If you want to change it, do it, if it's not changeable, learn to love all of you. Keep Going!!! Remember, change is a process, not a destination. Keep going, and use all the support you can get. Check out available resources, use the support documents, and don't hesitate to seek out more information.
