Self-Compassion on Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! You all deserve so many lovely little surprise gifts and extra love today, but also, every day of the year! I wonder though, is your mindset ready to receive love?

I love the idea of Valentine's Day. When I was younger I used to hope for this knight in shining armor to just come out of no where and confess all of his dying love for me and spoil me with mountains of chocolates, teddy bears and flowers!

Well today is just like every other day. However, I'm actually lucky enough to have a husband who truly put some thought into a gift for me. I was so thrilled to find it on my desk in my office where he knew I'd be heading at 5am. It was such a thoughtful care package from my extremely thoughtful husband.

Here's the thing though, although I have a knight in shining armor to give me gifts on those days that are important - birthday's, Christmas, Valentine's day, anniversary, it's truly not enough. Not that he's not enough. It's not enough for me to receive gifts of things, because if I only relied on the gifts to bring me happiness, I'd never be truly happy with any gift.

Self-love.

Self-compassion.

Self-awareness of my own greatness.

This is how I am truly able to accept any size gift as wonderful rather than not enough. If I feel like I'm fully topped up with self-compassion I begin to feel like I'm good enough, that I am kind enough, I'm beautiful, a good mother, a good wife, a good daughter, and that my life is going in the right direction. It's in this space that I can truly feel confident to accept gifts knowing that I am topped up on self-love and that the gift isn't the only thing bringing me joy. My life doesn't revolve around the thing, it revolves around the amount I pour into myself. And when I pour into myself, I begin to feel a sense of power because anything external doesn't hold as much weight.

Now going back to my amazing husband. Of course. Little or big shows of external affection are lovingly received. And when I gave my husband my small gift for him today, I know he wasn't in a space to judge it as worthy or unworthy, he just accepted the gift from my heart to his.

Love isn't external and showy, love is a commitment that you need to make first to yourself so that you can truly give to others. When you are in that mindset, things you receive do not control your feelings and emotions, because things are not what matters. Things are secondary to what is going on inside your mind and about the way in which you see the world.

On this Valentine's Day I give to you a gift. Not of chocolates or flowers or candy. No. Nothing physical. I give to you two words that I want you to meditate on throughout the day, to think about with every piece of yourself. Self. Compassion. Be compassionate with yourself today. Do not judge yourself harshly. Do not judge yourself in a way that implicates your relationship with yourself. You are listening to your own thoughts. Your own thoughts become your beliefs. If you allow yourself to think negatively, you will essentially be training your brain to believe that you aren't worthy. And if you think positively, you will be training your brain to believe that you ARE worthy. Being Self-Compassionate is telling yourself again and again you are worthy, you are beautiful, you are powerful and that you are right where you need to be.

On this Valnetine's Day, pour love into yourself, so that you can pour love into others.

True love isn't a thing, it's a mindset.

(Please do not take this as I didn't feel my husband gave me a big gift!

This isn't the take home!)