Welcome to May—or, as I call it, Doing You Month! What do I mean by that? I mean that every day this month, I want you to honor yourself. It’s all too easy to fall into the habit of belittling and badmouthing yourself. Maybe you compare yourself to models or movie stars and think, “I’m so imperfect.” Or you make a few mistakes at work, and you think, “I’m always screwing up.” Or you feel guilty about not being a perfect partner, a perfect parent, or a perfect son or daughter to your own parents.

    

Well, here’s what I want you to do this month: Knock it off! Think about it. Would you say that to your best friend, “Wow, you sure aren’t movie-star pretty, are you?” Would you constantly point out her shortcomings and imperfections, and make a point of rubbing her nose in her mistakes? No—not if you’re truly a good friend. And this month, I want you to be a good friend—to yourself!

 

One of my strongest beliefs is that positive energy pulls good things into your life. Negative energy, on the other hand, slams doors on you. And that’s especially true when it comes to the energy you direct toward yourself. So here’s what I want you to do this month: I want you to make it a month of consciously loving and caring for yourself. Think of it as falling in love with yourself again.

 

As part of this process, I want you to do seven things:

• When you first wake up, spend a few minutes thinking about what you like best about yourself. Are you kind? Creative? Funny? Strong? When you focus your attention on your strengths, you will make the most of them.
• Do at least one nice thing for yourself each day. Set aside a little time to relax in a hot tub, enjoy a cup of tea while you read a book, or cook something special that you like. If you don’t have time to do this, find ways to cut down on your commitments.
• Any time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought about yourself, immediately think of three positive thoughts.
• Focus on “living in your truth.” Spend less time agreeing with everyone else, and more time respecting your own beliefs. If your friends don’t like you because of those beliefs, find new friends.
• Forgive yourself for at least one mistake you made in the past. Any time you catch yourself ruminating about that mistake, remind yourself firmly, “I am forgiven for that.”
• Insist that the other people in your life honor you. If there’s someone who continually makes you feel small, inferior, or “not good enough,” either remove that person from your life or insist on being treated with more respect.
• Ask for help when you need it, rather than martyring yourself.

At first, you may actually feel selfish when you honor yourself—especially if you’ve always neglected yourself while you focused on caring for the people around you. But when you learn to love yourself, you will be amazed at how much more love and respect you feel for the people around you.  You will radiate positive energy, brightening the lives of everyone you touch.

 

So take my challenge, and celebrate Doing You Month… and fall in love with yourself again! See the post --> Seven Ways to Stop Over-Committing Yourself

 

Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!