love yourself first ritual

it’s valentine’s day!!! let’s not focus on what we are doing for other people to make them feel special, let’s talk about what we’ve done for ourselves.

has it been a long time since you gave yourself 24 minutes (or even 12 minutes) to sit in silence and just hear your own thoughts? yes? that’s what I was afraid of. let me bring you in on a little secret, you are not alone. so many of us think that self care needs to look like a trip to the spa, a whole day alone, an expensive and possibly unaffordable two week European vacation…what if I told you that a trip to the $1 Store, your favorite playlist, a cup of cacao - made just the way you like it and your favorite coloring tools (crayons, markers, colored pencils and paper) could give you a little calm in your chaos?

I’m not kidding. next time you go to the store (even the $1 store) pick up a pack of “birthday candles.” If you have 24 minutes, buy the tall ones, if you don’t know if you can dedicate 24 minutes, buy the standard pack and allow for 12 minutes. yes, I timed them and took the guess work out of it for you.

use the burning candle as a sweet soft timer, it will bring a little light to your life while you sip your cacao and color, doodle, scribble ferociously (to let out the frustrations of course) or start a masterpiece that you will dedicate 12 minutes a day to until it is exactly the way you want it. It doesn’t matter what you create or how you create it…just create. while you create, you are giving yourself space to decompress and delight in yourself. you are making it possible to love yourself just a little bit more than you did yesterday, but still less than tomorrow if you can keep it going. you are not only expressing love for yourself, but you are creating an opportunity to share that love with others because when we are happier those around us benefit from it and happiness is quite contagious in the best of ways.

boundless blessings!!!