Speak Life to Yourself

Say this phrase to yourself. “Oh my gosh…you’re gorgeous!!”

Say it with a little sass, like you are talking to your nervous friend on her wedding day, as she is about to walk down the aisle.

It’s rare that I feel this way, especially since most days I’m in food-stained clothing, jogger pants, and a messy bun with no makeup… In other words, I look like I’ve been wrestling with small animals because at least one 3-year old has found a way to lie his or her body directly across my head.

But I find that when I affirm myself in some way about my outer appearance or my inner woman, I actually begin to feel more like the best version of myself.

We say more negative and detrimental things to our inner spirits than we speak life to them. Because of that, we are dulling our inner shine. Please, my friends…let’s speak to ourselves the way we would speak life to our beloved friends…even our children.

As women, and especially as moms, we can carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Girl…you need food for your soul.

We are what we feed ourselves in our own minds. We can either diminish our inner beings with an occasional crust of bread and sip of water that is negative self talk…or we can nourish our best selves with a life-giving buffet of encouragement and affirmation. Pay close attention to your inner self…are you starving or flourishing? And who is responsible for that?

Show Yourself Some Love

You give so much to your family and the world around you. But you matter just as much. It’s so important to give to yourself as well. I can get so caught up in daily tasks, to-do lists, and pouring into others. And we all know the question that comes from this: How can you pour from an empty cup?

There are countless ways to pour into yourself and nourish yourself with food for your soul. You can do the following 5 things right now!

• Meditation – Take 5 minutes to sit still and quiet. Set a timer and find a quiet space with no distractions. Close your eyes, and clear your mind. Visualize a calm, serene scene in your mind (I go to a peaceful beach). Focus on slowly breathing in through your nose for 5 seconds and out through your mouth for 5 seconds.
• Walking – Take a short walk around your neighborhood and breathe in the fresh air. Leave your phone on silent and focus on the beauty of the world around you.
• Journaling – Take a few minutes to write down 5 things that you love about yourself. Choose one of those things and tell a friend or family member about it. Ask them to tell you one thing that they love about you.
• Listening – Think of one song that always makes you smile and play that song. If you can, sing it out loud and dance your little heart out.
• Affirmation – Go to a mirror and look at your face. Don’t look away. Say these things to the beautiful person staring back at you…”I am beauty. I am loved. I am light. I am safe. I am amazing.” Repeat as many times as needed. Say it until you mean it. You deserve to hear and believe these words.

We All Need Nourishment

If your children or other loved ones were in a situation where they were being starved, you would do whatever it takes to get them some nourishment. We can get so busy that we don’t even realize that we are starving and in desperate need of nourishment for our inner selves…that is, food for your soul. In light of that, take the time to replenish…for the sake of all of those that depend on you.

Sometimes, we may need to take it a step further and get a real break from life to replenish ourselves. Check out this blog post to find out what happened when I took a Mom Break!! https://chucksducksandcoconuts.com/2021/09/18/you-need-mom-break/

You are an incredible person…yes YOU…the person reading these words. Please be encouraged today and remember…there is no shame if you need a little extra help for your mental health. Tell someone today. Reach out or explore the link below so that you can get the help and the food for your soul that you need for mental wellness. https://www.psychologytoday.com

Take good care of yourselves, sweet people.

“To the world, you may be one person…but to one person, you may be the world.”

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