ACTION
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassions, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
– Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Action - the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, with the possibility of repetition.
REPEAT AFTER ME
In this case the thing I am referring to is love for self. The action of loving yourself takes time in stages with repetition. So serve yourself a tall glass of grace and a silver platter of patience. Think of the turtle winning the race against the hare. Repeat after me: slow, steady, consistent.
Throughout this course I have outlined actions that you can take to successfully support yourself in achieving your ultimate goal — experiencing more LOVE for self, for others, for your world.
Have you ever heard the phrase: Love is a verb (an action) not a noun (person, place, or thing)? I believe this is true and it means loving yourself involves action. It begins as an expression and we improve at it the more we practice. And as we practice it improves us. It is self-generative. Practice is progress.
Loving yourself is a life-long practice of taking steps — it’s a process. Each time you take action you are making progress towards cultivating a deep, authentic love for yourself. I hope you are already reaping some of the benefits of the actions you have been taking. You are becoming more familiar with the process and that it is beginning to take root and support a practice of self-love. I believe that every time you honor yourself in the most loving way you experience a miracle.
MIRACULOUS
According to A Course in Miracles a miracle is defined as a shift in perception. Seeing something a different way can make a HUGE difference in the way we experience the moments of our lives. You are creating what you expect. Expect miracles. Are you beginning to see the shifts? These are little miracles happening within you and in your life already!
Instead of Forcing
… Start empowering. Whenever you notice yourself feeling overwhelmed or burdened by tasks, instead of forcing your way to the finish line, take an empowering break. On the surface this seems like the least productive choice — letting yourself off the hook — but look a little deeper. The idea is to shift the energy, shake it off, change it up and clear your head then get back to it with a fresh approach. You are a human, not a machine, despite what appears to be coming out of Hollywood or social media. I encourage you to experiment. Observe how you feel and what you are able to accomplish when you are not at your best. Then make notes — get scientific — see what the difference is when you allow yourself the time and space for renewal.
Imagine if you were to shut off the computer, put down the phone, lay down the assignment and…
take a deep breath followed by another (and/or)
drink a tall glass of water (and/or)
do a five minute yoga stretch (and/or)
do twenty five jumping jacks (and/or)
ten push ups (and/or)
splash some cool water on your face (and/or)
sing or laugh out loud (and/or)
get outside, remove your shoes and expose your arms to the sun for a quick fifteen minute vitamin D fix
Let the moment you become aware of your weariness, overwhelm, or anxiety be an invitation to care for yourself in any or all of the options mentioned above — or create your own. Your body will tell you to take a break. Honor this call to action. You are worth the precious time it takes to rejuvenate. Take a moment and check in with yourself and ask what would feel good to me right now? How can I refresh myself so I can move through this in a different more desirable way? Whatever works for you to gently guide yourself back into flow and ease and joy. Choose actions that are supportive, nurturing, honoring, and loving. When you get stuck you can consider what you want for the end result and ask to be shown the obvious next step that will move you towards it. Slow down. Breathe. Be still. All the answers are within you. Asking is Action. Honoring the answer is Action.
As my own teacher says, “The slower we go the faster we get there.”
You are the artist of your experience. What do you want your experience to look like, to feel like? How do you want to feel as you are creating your life? What can you do to create that feeling?