It’s February and the subject is love. We’re awash in Hallmark moments about romance, hearts and flowers and little candy kisses with sweet messages. Let’s take a deeper look at love, at self-love.
The truth is that love begins and ends with your relationship with yourself. You are your primary partner and you are your lifetime lover. How you feel about you determines how you receive and give love. Sometimes we think that we’ll love ourselves when we know others love us. If we don’t feel loved, it’s easy to think that we’re unlovable and that only love from others can fill that emptiness. This is backwards. How we feel about ourselves is what we transmit to the world. When you are in love with you and loving you, you radiate love and it’s irresistible. You are irresistible.
For the month of February, my invitation is to love yourself fully, to believe that you are adorable, lovable, sexy and irresistible. Imagine what your life would be like if you felt totally loved all the time? This is the gift I’m inviting you to give to yourself. After all, who else knows you so well and knows how you want to receive love?
Each day this month, explore ways to love yourself. Open your heart to yourself the way you would to the one/s you love most. Be generous with your love because you deserve to be adored. Remember what it feels like to be in love and all you can think about is your sweetie? Bring that attitude and energy to you. At first this may feel silly or awkward. But stick with it and be creative, and you may find a surprise at the end of the month.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Write yourself a love letter. Tell yourself all the things you appreciate and love about yourself. Write it on beautiful stationery or a card and mail it. Hint: you can do this more than once and perhaps you’ll send you a Valentine.
- Take yourself out on a date. Dress up so that you feel beautiful and go out for coffee, a movie, dinner or for a walk in a beautiful place.
- Meditate on love. What does love mean to you? How do you know when you are loved? How can you be more loving with yourself? Open to receive what comes to you as you sit and contemplate these questions and any others that inspire you.
- Buy yourself some gorgeous flowers, or send them to yourself. Include a love note with the flowers and when you look at them, remember how much you love yourself.
- Each time you see your face in a mirror, look into your eyes and say, “I love you” out loud. Say it like you mean it.
- Stroke yourself from head to toe with tenderness and love.
- Keep a love journal. Write daily about your exploration for that day ~ what you did, how it felt and what you’re learning about loving yourself. Keep the journal in a special place and read it often to remind you of your love for yourself.
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About Barbara Musser
Barbara, founder and CEO of Sexy After Cancer, is the author of Sexy After Cancer ~ Meeting Your Inner Aphrodite on the Breast Cancer Journey. A 26-year breast cancer survivor, speaker and educator, she teaches classes and retreats for women and couples about cancer, love, intimacy and sexuality.
Barbara will be speaking at the YSC Summit on Saturday during General Session 1 on Sex and Intimacy along with other experts. To learn more about this session and others, visit summit.youngsurvival.org/Sessions.
