As I was thinking about how to write this article about love, of course the first thing that came to mind was "It's February so you have to write about Valentines Day". However for me, Valentine's day is one of those days that caters to couples and like may of you may be, I am no longer a couple. I am a single, so what could I possibly have to say about love? The more that I thought about it, the more I realized, it's not about couples. It's about expressing love and gratitude to any important person or people in your life, and who should be more important in your life than you?
At some point in my life, and I don't remember if someone said it to me or I read it, but I learned that you can't love someone lese if you don't love yourself. Many of us will bend over backwards for the ones we love, placing their wants and needs before our own. I get it. We want the important people in our lives to want for nothing, to never struggle, and to never feel alone. Therefore, we do whatever we can to make that happen, even if it means sacrificing our own needs and health. Loving, supporting, and taking care of someone else's needs is not an easy task. It takes a lot of thought, energy, and if you believe, prayer to do this successfully. What we don't think about while we are working so hard to support others is that we are slowly sacrificing our own health and once our health is gone, those loved ones will be left alone to deal with the things we tried so hard to help them avoid. You have to love and take care of yourself. You have to be in a sound mind and body in order to have the strength and energy to love and support someone else.
So all of you beautiful readers out there, I have a love challenge for you. No matter if you are a half of a couple or you are a single person like me, learn how to truly love yourself. Make a list of all the things you love about yourself, no matter how big or small. Keep that list in a safe place and every day, throughout the month of February, take just a few minutes of "Me" time to read and meditate on your list. Think about your needs and what makes you happy. Try to accomplish one of those items on your list each day. At the end of February, send us a message and let us know if this challenge was helpful for you or just a waste of time. We are hoping for the best but would love to hear from you either way. I will leave you with this inspirational quote:
"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection" - Buddha
