Self Love {Top Ten}

 I have been working on loving myself following the advice of the amazing Gala Darling.  Her website is chock full of lists and ways to work on treating yourself like you do your best friend.

Here is a list of ten basic ways to start loving (and taking care of) yourself.
{You can find the original post here.}

It's my favorite list, because it's somewhat short and feels completely doable.  I am working to implement just one thing off this list into my schedule each day.

Take time to be alone:
meditate//just be

Pay myself a compliment:
focus on what I do well//make note of it

Read Poetry:
or other blogs//magazines for inspiration

Shift the focus:
from OUTSIDE to inside

Write a love letter to myself:
something true that resonates

Evaluate what I'm feeding myself:
not just food//also media
{is it adding or detracting from my life?)

Move your body:
a teeny bit of exercise can have a huge impact

*Stand up for what you believe in:
don't apologize//radical self love=having your own interests

Go to bed early:
treat yourself to delicious & restorative nights

Do something good for someone else:
write a note//make a call

Tell yourself ::

"This is who I am.

No amount of self-loathing, 

worry or doubt

will change it.

I will love and accept myself."

-Gala

*A note on standing up for what I believe in:

It's very easy to talk about this, and think you believe in the old cliche... It is very much another thing to truly do it.  To sacrifice something important for the sake of that belief.  Or to walk away from something that could have been beautiful in the pursuit of something better.

When the moment comes, you will know.  Your heart may break in the process, but the outcome will be better than you ever dreamed.  You will know love, and respect yourself so much for taking a stand.

Listen to your heart. Be still.  Don't let anything outside yourself cloud your judgment.

"To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest."

-Mahatma Gandhi