A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case was made this past week, granting homosexuals the legal right to get married.
This followed with the passing of a strict vaccination law (SB277) in the state of California.
These controversial topics brought up a lot of discussions online and quickly brought out visible divisions among people. Social media platforms provided an easy playground to openly express opinions and behind a keyboard, many were more expressive.
As I scrolled through my social media feeds, it didn’t take long for me to feel stress and overwhelm at the exchanges happening.
As I conveyed my frustrations to my hubby he tipped his head and told me to stay off of Facebook. Ha. The simple reasons I love him 🙂
But seriously, I felt quite disheartened about the messages that I was reading. All I could think was… where is the love?
Love Starts With Me.
After long hours at the computer, I decided to do some yoga. I needed that… to stretch off the weight of the world on my shoulders 🙂
As I worked through the moves and opened up much needed space in my body, a simple thought came to me that caused a sense of peace to flow through.
Love starts with me.
Amidst the energy exchanged this week I gratefully took in messages from two fabulous health leaders: Gabrielle Bernstein and Dr. Bernie Siegel.
They reminded me that self-love is essential.
This crucial piece motivates us to make better decisions. When we are rested and feeling well then life is better for us and for the people around us. This energy is contagious.
I think that those who spread negative energy are not caring for themselves. The negative, hateful feelings don’t jive with a loving, caring energy that comes with self-love.
When we love ourselves it makes it easier to love one another. When we follow a path to inner peace then we are gently guided down a path to joy instead of judgement.
A Big Part of Self-Love is Self-Care.
I admit that I’ve let some self-care habits slip the past couple of months. I recognize how this has impacted my life and how I feel: both physically and emotionally.
Sleep is a biggie! When I let this slip I am more snappy, impatient and crave bad foods. And it makes me want to hop in with my two-cents on these controversial issues, Lol.
My yoga practice has slipped too, which has resulted in a more tense body and subsequent aches and pains. Perhaps that is why this intuitive thought came to my mind as I took the time to stretch out:
Wait… I am love. It’s right here. 🙂
Don’t know what “self-care” means to you? Check out a post I wrote about finding your own self-care needs.
On the Positive Side?
When we are well, we have more energy and light to share with those around us. When we truly love ourselves then we can be the calm when the storm is breaking.
When we love ourselves we live at a higher vibration. This sends a ripple effect into the world.
The ripple starts with a single drop. When we love ourselves this spreads.
And love conquers all.
I leave you with one of my favorite songs by Dave Matthews Band, Mercy:
“One by one could we turn it around…”
What can you do to express love for yourself today? What can you do to stimulate feelings of joy? I’d love to hear from you…
Much Love,
Aubree
