I recently shared with you that in addition to opening doors and learning about the world and people around us, I also want to be intentional about opening my internal doors.
Let me ask you, how often do you seek out your own internal doors? The ones inside you that reveal your inner knowing, your exquisite internal guidance system and your unique relationship with yourself?
Most people carry varying degrees of trauma inside their body, and many avoid opening those internal doors at all costs. But in my experience, if I want peace, I need to find those doors, explore what’s in there and try to understand why it’s hidden away. If you feel the same way, please check in with yourself, and if you need to do so with professional help, please gift yourself the ring of keys that are wholly unique to you. Those are keys to a form of freedom.
As humans, we tend to think well in the shower. Today something profound happened for me after I stepped out of the shower and as I began my mindless ritual of applying lotion to my body. Mindless, that is, until today. I have no idea how many days of my life I’ve done this very thing, but today I noticed something different.
Let me back up for a moment. Like so many of you, I’ve struggled with body image and sometimes even self-loathing. I love and honor others as they are, but I find it difficult to accept myself with the same love and compassion. Do you know what I mean? I suspect you do. Lately I’ve been working on loving myself right here and right now. Not ‘when’ or ‘if’. Just as I am. Today. For myself and for the people in my life. But how? In addition to things like sunlight, exercise, nutritious foods and good sleep hygiene, I discovered one new way, and that is the simple aha I want to share with you today.
When we have a physical pain, such as a sore muscle, a tight calf, a sensitive skin issue, we apply touch as a means of healing. We massage the sore muscles, stretch them or apply some kind of ointment if there is a cut or scrape. Sore eyes? Headache? Stubbed toe? We comfort with touch.
But when I applied my lotion today just as I do every day, I realized I don’t apply lotion to the parts of my body that I have the most difficulty accepting. Wow. I know with certainty for me, those parts are a physical representation of pain and a lack of self-acceptance.
And what have I done all this time? I’ve neglected them, ignored them, denied them care and most of all, I’ve withheld love. I had no idea. Until now. Until I happened upon this door, then dared to open it, I was completely and totally unaware.
But I am aware now.
Do you deny aspects of yourself? Physically? Or maybe psychologically, do you wall off pieces of you and withhold love from yourself?
Please, start loving yourself today. It will change the whole world.