Some time ago, I was looking for a unique way to sign my emails. I searched my heart for what I wanted more of in my life and came up with #love, #gratitude, and #kindness. I realized that’s what our world could use more of as well.
November has become known as the gratitude month. In addition to #Thanksgiving in America, there is also #StressAwarenessDay, #VeteransDay, #WKD (World Kindness Day), and #GivingTuesday. Acknowledging these days can help us to be more aware of love, gratitude, and kindness.
My personal favorite is #NationalAuthors Day(1st). My first book, Come Back Strong, was published in November 2017!
While the book is about my journey through endometriosis, hysterectomy, and surgical menopause, there are so many golden nuggets on wellness and self-care for any challenge or setback in life. Enjoy the following excerpt from Come Back Strong.” Let it remind us to show love, gratitude, and kindness to others, as well as ourselves.
Self-Love
Self-love was a powerful component of my healing. Most religions and spiritual traditions teach a version of the principle: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” It’s the premise of showing the same kindness to others that we want to be shown to us. The problem is we don’t love ourselves enough, which adds to our stress levels.
During surgical menopause, we hate our symptoms and our bodies. But the last thing any of us needs is hate, especially when it comes to ourselves. Think of a child who falls and skins her knee. Her caregiver jumps in with gentle kindness and kisses the boo-boo to make it better. What if our symptoms are our bodies’ ways of saying, “Hey? Love me. Hug me. Nurture me. Think good things about me. Get more rest. Stop feeding me that.” Are we listening?
Self-love is the act of taking care of ourselves, which includes taking care of our bodies and health. It is showing respect for ourselves and our well-being. Self-love is taking responsibility for our happiness. It is accepting and embracing all the past, present, and future.
I love my body and all it’s been through, even when it doesn’t look or feel its best. My body is a miracle: it can heal from the trauma of major surgery. I recognize that I woke up, I left the hospital, and I am making positive progress toward true health and balanced wellness every day. There are some aspects of my body, emotions, and life that I don’t always like. I love myself anyway. I love my future self, the person I am becoming, and the woman right now who is lovable just because she exists. She is more than enough.
With love, gratitude, and kindness,
Lori
