Love-in Me

Don’t you just love February? After all the hype of gift giving and the glitter of decorations, January sometimes feels like a real drab hangover. February’s like the after party to the Christmas season, painting the town red with the message of LOVE.

Valentine’s will have had us overthinking, over-planning and overspending just to show our love. We would’ve scoured the Hallmark shelves for that one poignant card, been knee deep in Craft-a-thons and You Tubing how-to videos to create and give away delicious confections. We want everyone to know they were thought of and loved. We’ll find “the greatest love of all inside” for our children, our mates, our friends on Valentine’s and beyond. But we’ll forget to listen to Whitney Houston’s soul stirring song and hear

“Learning to love yourself

It is the greatest love of all”

There’s a little, incessant voice in our heads which tells us that if we love ourselves, we are selfish and self-centered. We’re told that selflessness especially is an essential part of womanhood. Manhood is all about the outward appearance of what we do and have rather than the inner knowing of who we are and how we feel. We hear the roar of generations shouting out that being a good person requires the sacrifice of time, energy, dreams, self and soul.

But if we let the words of that Whitney song direct us, we’ll let the children lead us showing “the beauty inside”, having “a sense of pride” and we’ll “Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be”. Carefree springs to mind. Playful like the breeze rustling through the leaves.

Light, as sunshine glistening on water. Secure as a warm blanket on a cool night. In the moment...Present, as a little one licking at ice-cream running down his arm. Inhaling and exhaling…Beautiful…. as the quiet stillness before dawn.

Why not give yourself some love this month and beyond…by giving to yourself first…then by letting others give to you. Take a look in the mirror and compliment only the beautiful. Take a look inside and see the depths of your goodness and mine it for daily Love-Me currency.

See your accomplishments for what they are; an extension of your ambition not an extension of you. Make every moment be yours to shine a spotlight on the Best in you. Then keep living into your greatness. Cheers to you, to me, to us!