laugh. cry. be.

A few months ago I was talking with my sister, I had shared with her some challenges I was wrestling with, after a 5 minute diatribe, my closing statement just before coming up for air was something like this:

“I keep telling myself to snap the fuck out of it! Seriously, what is my problem?”

After, my sister said one of the most important things anyone has ever said to me—

“You know E, I can’t help but wonder… if the roles were reversed and say it was me sharing and you listening…what would you say to me?…..… I can tell you because you have been there for me in ways that were so important and never once did you say to me, ‘you need to snap the fuck out of it.’ In fact quite the opposite, you have encouraged me and afforded me the opportunity to see a different perspective…so what I am wondering is this: why don’t you extend that same kindness to yourself?”

WOW.

“Why don’t you extend that same kindness to yourself?”

Not long after I began to think about what I always have believed: Love Begins Inside. I simply had never connected self-love to the concept of receiving.

So, if love begins inside and I am seemingly “receiving challenged” what can I do to first give to myself in the ways I may give to my daughter, son, husband, sister, brother, parent, or friends?

This is where I began:

Be willing to both give and receive the gift of friendship with myself.
Bask in the abundance of beauty found in nature.
Love deeply with reckless abandon.
Allow others to nurture me.
Unplug often.
Meditate.
Laugh.
Sing.
Cry.
Be.