Motivation…very difficult to master and sometimes even harder to maintain. Equally difficult is remaining positive when you slip up, make a mistake and falter. Who can say that they love themselves all the time, faults and all…no matter what. We can be talking about exercise, eating better, giving up soda or negative self-talk or even just being happy.

I chose this topic today because these things are difficult for me as well. I strive to do the best that I can every day….and when I falter I am often hard on myself. I am my worst critic, and sometimes I need to pull myself back in to reality. Does any of this sound familiar to you? We are all human and we all have ways of dealing with these situations. Once you falter, do you pick yourself back up and start over…or do you let negative self-talk take over and quit? Although I have issues of negative self- talk and worry more than I should…I never quit. I always start over. Giving up is just not an option.

Here are some of the ways that I handle these difficult situations.

I am all about affirmations. I write on post-it notes and place them on the bathroom mirror, the fridge and in my car. I change them frequently…except for one.  My white board on the fridge reads: I love you. You are doing the best you can. This brings me back to reality when my kids are out of control and I find myself saying “you are failing as a Mom.” I read that and can immediately turn that statement around to I am a great Mom and kids will be kids. Just like that this statement turns things around. Affirmations are very positive tools.

I practice EFT or tapping. Please take a moment to read my instructional blog on tapping, a wonderful tool to diffuse negative patterns, thoughts and habits.

I work to eliminate self-criticism.  When I catch myself thinking unkind things I work to change the statement around. Instead of saying I really messed that up I say you are doing the best you can. Try to make it a habit to praise yourself every day, while in front of the mirror. A great place to start is every time you pass in front of a mirror start by simply saying “I love you”…then say whatever comes naturally after that, as long as it is not followed by BUT or IF ONLY.

I also work on forgiveness. Everyone makes mistakes, but the biggest mistake of all is not being able to forgive it and move on. There really is no need to beat yourself up over them. Equally important is forgiving others. By not forgiving others you are hurting yourself. Forgiveness is not condoning others for anything that they might have done…it is setting yourself and them free.

This is one of the things that I have worked on for a long time….I feel that this is so important for everyone..that is to fall in love with yourself. Think about what makes you YOU. Just like a flower that needs sunlight and water to grow, we need to learn how to nurture ourselves every day. Love yourself for all the good and accept yourself for all your flaws and know that you are perfectly imperfect.

Be truthful to yourself-Loving yourself requires you to be truthful about your own feelings. If you are happy acknowledge the joy. If you are sad, acknowledge the sorrow. Acknowledging what you feel provides a good guide to what your thought are. As we know, thoughts can be changed, so that healing and self growth can take place.

My beautiful friend and mentor gave me some of the best advice I have ever had. Once small piece of her advice was this-make a list of pleasures. What are you passionate about, what makes you happy, makes you tick, makes you YOU.  Is it painting, singing, dancing, reading books, gardening, building something? Do something that gives you pleasure every single day.  Do not let the daily struggles of life get in the way of what life is really all about…being happy.

Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.