006 Self-Love - What Does It Mean?
The Crucial Role of Self-Love in a Balanced, Happy Life
Ever wonder what it truly means to love yourself? Or have you ever felt that self-love was just a buzzword without real substance? Today, we're diving deep into this life-transforming topic. Join me as we unravel the crucial role of self-love in a balanced, happy life, and how to build a strong relationship with you.
Welcome to the Sparkling Life Coach podcast.
Hello, Sparkling One and Welcome. I'm Dee Diaz, your integrative nutrition health coach and passionate advocate for holistic wellness. My intention is to help you increase the sparkle in your life. I'll be your guide on this journey toward self-love, wellness, and personal growth.
In today's episode we're diving into a topic that's near and dear to my heart What does it truly mean to love yourself? We'll explore this essential aspect of our well-being and uncover the profound layers of self-love and give you some actionable steps to embrace self-love on a deeper level. And hopefully, this will serve as a compass guiding you through the labyrinth of self-discovery.
You know, loving yourself isn't just about bubble baths and affirmations, though those are pretty fabulous, but it's actually about honoring yourself, accepting who you are, flaws and all, and nurturing a relationship with yourself that's as precious as any other. Because if you think about it, it's the one relationship you're guaranteed to have for the rest of your life.
I hope you're sitting in a cozy nook, wrapped in a blanket of tranquility, sipping on a soothing cup of tea, ready to delve into the heart of what it truly means to love yourself. But even if you're not, imagine this. Imagine a garden blooming with an array of flowers. Each flower, unique in color and form, represents a different aspect of your being, your strengths, your quirks, and vulnerabilities.
Embracing self-love is like nurturing this beautiful garden, tending to each flower with care. Acknowledging and cherishing every petal. Throughout this exploration, I'm going to try to illustrate how embracing self-love can transform a life from uncertainty to unshakable confidence. You know, there was once a time when I found myself constantly seeking external validation.
I didn't realize the immense power of self-love until I embarked on this transformative journey. It wasn't an overnight revelation, but through small intentional actions, I started recognizing my worth beyond society's expectations. And I say that so that you understand that I recognize that this is not easy.
If this is something that's been lacking in your daily routine, then I want you to know that. I get it. It's definitely something that has improved in my life, but something that I'm still working on. So I'm going to share some points that I've been able to incorporate in my self-care in the hopes that I can inspire you to do the same.
And you'll find that emotional health and wealth starts from within. So the first thing that I try to do is to take care of myself physically. If you've heard any of my episodes or attended any of my webinars and masterclasses, You probably recognize by now how important I think nutrition is and how important I believe it is to use products in your life that are free of toxins and synthetics.
That's step number one. That's our foundation. This is such an important step. You take care of those you love, don't you? You make sure they're eating right. They're taking their vitamins. You're keeping them healthy to the best of your ability, right? But are you doing the same for yourself?
So, occasionally, I may offer suggestions of some of the things that I like to use to not just pamper myself, although I do have a routine for that, but things I use in my daily life. It could be the vitamins I take, the water I drink, the non-toxic items I choose to clean my home, the products I place on my skin and use in my beauty regimen that helps me to take care of this amazing body I've been gifted.
In a non-synthetic, non-toxic way. And this is one way I show myself love.
You know, I found this statistic interesting. Studies have shown that a staggering 95 percent of individuals experience heightened overall well-being when they practice self-love regularly, according to Psychology Today. This statistic illuminates the profound influence self-love can have on our lives.
As a matter of fact, according to research by psychologist Kristin Neff, practicing self-compassion is associated with greater emotional well-being. When we embrace self-love, studies show a whopping 80 percent increase in overall life satisfaction. Let's break this down. Imagine a pie chart representing your happiness.
When you prioritize self-love, a whopping 80 percent of that pie is filled with contentment, joy, and fulfillment. Don't you want a slice of that pie? Who wouldn't? I know I do.
Alright, Sparkling One, well then let's get practical. Because loving yourself isn't just a one time deal, right? It's an ongoing practice. It's like watering a plant, tending to your beautiful garden because it needs consistent care and nurturing. So I'm going to give you three actionable steps that you can do daily to help you make the transition.
Step one, start your day with positive affirmations. Repeat after me. I am enough. I am worthy. I am deserving of love. Come on, you can say it with me. I am enough. I am worthy. I am deserving of love. How about saying this to yourself instead of all the negative self-talk? I am enough. I am worthy. I am deserving of love.
As a gift for you, I'm including in the show notes, a link to my free mini eBook, where you will find a very special self-love guided meditation that you can listen to any time to help you override any negative self-talk you may be engaging in. I hope you'll let me know what you think about it. Okay, step number two, set boundaries for yourself.
Saying no isn't selfish, it's self-care. Try this. When asked to do something, make your first answer no, and then sit with that for a while. Before you answer in the affirmative, ask yourself, do I really need to do this? Is this really my responsibility? Could they find someone else to help them? Do I really want to do this?
I like the thought that humility is knowing your limitations. And sometimes we stretch ourselves to extinction far beyond our limitations because we don't know how to say no when we really need to. And remember that no is a complete sentence.
It doesn't need an explanation. Yeah, but I know I can't do that either. So, I like what Elizabeth Perry wrote in her article, How to Say No to Others and Why You Shouldn't Feel Guilty. She suggests 10 phrases that can be used as substitutes for the simple no next time you find yourself backed into a corner.
And so, I wanted to share these with you because they're so good. You can say. 1. Sadly, I have something else going on. Or 2. I have another commitment. 3. I wish I were able to. 4. Oh, I'm afraid I can't. 5. I don't have the bandwidth for that right now. 6. I'm honored you asked me, but I simply can't. 7. Thanks for thinking of me.
8. I'm sorry, I'm not able to fit this in. 9. Unfortunately, I already have plans. Maybe next time. And 10. No thank you, but it sounds lovely. Those are great, aren't they? Excellent replies when we're asked to do something that is really out of our wheelhouse. And yeah, I know, this is still something I need to work on too.
And I can't tell you that I'm great at it yet, but we're on a journey, right? And so remember, this is a judgment-free zone. Pat yourself on the back for every time you allow yourself to say no and allow yourself not to feel guilty about it. So that was step two, set boundaries for yourself. Step three, treat yourself like your best friend.
Imagine giving advice to someone you deeply care about. Now, apply that same kindness and understanding to yourself. This is important. I think about how I speak to myself sometimes, and I could be a mean girl if I spoke to my friends the way I talk to myself sometimes. I wouldn't have any friends. So do we need to check our self-talk?
If so, then I want you to imagine that someone you love was going through what you're going through now. Whatever you might be struggling with in your life, consider that someone you love has or will go through something very similar. With this in mind, what words of support, love, and care would you offer to this person?
How would you show them your compassion? And then offer those words of support, love, and care to yourself in this moment. Let's end that negative self talk and start treating ourselves like we treat our best friends. And don't feel bad or get down on yourself if you're not doing this yet. Because guess what?
You're not alone on this journey. And I'm happy to say that I've witnessed incredible transformations in my clients and in myself, even when we embrace self-love. It's a beautiful thing when we can go from self-doubt to self-confidence by practicing daily acts of self-care, compassion, and self-love.
Now, before we end, I have three different modalities that I'd like you to try this week. longer if you're able to, but at least I challenge you to try it for one week. The first is I'm giving you a recipe for an essential oil roller bottle blend called Be-YOU-tiful. You can find the link for the recipe in the free mini eBook I've included in the show notes.
It's a lovely blend that includes so many of the best emotional aromatherapy oils, along with an explanation of why each one was included in the blend. If you don't have all the oils to make the blend, feel free to use any of the ones you may already own. And I'll leave you the link in the show notes where you can shop from my favorite essential oil company if you'd like to add the ones you're missing to your collection.
The second modality is Mirror Work. It's taken from Louise Hay's book by the same name.
She was one of the founders of the self-help movement back in the 70s, and it's a very simple exercise, but also very profound. A habit we have, especially as women, is how we judge ourselves every morning. Many people, especially women, find it difficult to even look at themselves in the mirror. Think of these statistics.
91 percent of women don't like how they look and more than 50 percent of women will not look at themselves in the mirror.
Mel Robbins, in her book, The High Five Habit, suggests that we ask that person that we see reflected in the mirror. What does she or he need from me today? And whatever it is that pops in your head, be it kindness, patience, she needs to be bold.
He needs to bring the fun and energy. She needs to love herself. She needs her soul soothed, whatever it is. Acknowledge that whatever you're going through in this moment, know that your experience is entirely human. Every emotion, every experience, everything that we go through is part of our humanity.
Take a moment to honor your human experience with care, warmth, and curiosity. So I want you to get in front of a mirror and you're going to look yourself in the eyes and say, I love you. you're going to speak the words out loud while you look yourself in the eyes. You're going to say it like you mean it, and then sit with it for a second.
Do at least three repetitions of that every day for a week. If you're using the Beautiful Blend, do the mirror work exercise after you apply the oils on yourself. Now mind you, if you've never done this before, at first, it's gonna feel uncomfortable and weird. Because it's the complete opposite from what we probably usually do, right?
We usually beat ourselves up or judge ourselves and our looks or ignore ourselves completely. And if you're anything like I used to be, I was relentless in that negative self talk. So even if it feels weird. Do it anyway. The more we do it, the easier it'll be. The more we'll believe it.
It's like that famous scripture in Matthew chapter 22, verse 39, where Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is that you love your neighbor as yourself. So the more we love ourselves, the more love we can show others, right? It's like your love ATM. If you never make any deposits, but keep making withdrawals, eventually your account will be at zero balance, right?
We should have that childlike mentality. How often do you see little ones when they see their reflection in the mirror? They can't help but kiss themselves. Can we learn again to have at least a little bit of that affection for ourselves? And the third modality is just as simple and just as profound.
Think about what you do when you show others that they're cared for. How do you express that love and concern?
Perhaps with a touch, a kiss, a hug, a high five. Usually we show others they're cared for physically, right? With physical touch. But do we do this for ourselves? Probably not, right? Okay, so what I'd like you to do this week is hug yourself for 30 seconds. Put your arms around yourself as tightly as you can.
Put your head down, breathe, and squeeze. And if you're using the essential oil blend, do that after you apply the oil. Do this first thing in the morning. Give yourself a good morning hug. And at night when you get into bed. Give yourself a good night hug. Come on, just try it. Commit to trying it. For one week, physically give yourself some compassion and love.
Appreciate yourself for how fabulous and sparkling you are. Even with everything you've been through. Or that you may be presently going through. Okay, so those will be your exercises for this week. Who's committing to them? I encourage you to do this first thing in the morning. Incorporate it into your morning routine, right after you brush your teeth, so you stack the new habit onto an old one that you already have.
I challenge you to try them. You can do anything for a week, right? And then I hope you'll let me know how it goes either on the Facebook group or on our YouTube channel, or drop us an email at Podcast@SparklingLifeCoach.com. I look forward to hearing from you how your week goes with the exercises. So Sparkling One, I want to encourage you today.
Take that first step, embrace yourself fully and unapologetically. Trust me, it's the key to unlocking a life filled with purpose, joy, and inner peace.
Remember, loving yourself is not selfish, it's necessary. And it isn't a destination, but a continuous voyage, a daily practice that evolves and flourishes with time. By embracing self-love, you're igniting a radiant spark within, illuminating the path to a more fulfilling life. I hope you'll share your self-love journey with me in the comments, and don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more empowering episodes.
And remember, Your life should sparkle. It should be exhilarating, energized, and filled with that effervescent sizzle that propels you through a brilliant, vivacious life. And we can increase the sparkle in your life through integrative nutrition, health and wellness coaching, and essential oils.
Until next time, Sparkle On, and Don't Forget to Sprinkle a Little Sparkle Everywhere You Go. Ciao!