Show Your Love.

How do you show you love yourself?

Do you do it by driving the speed limit? By getting more sleep? By going to the gym? Do you do it by what foods you eat?

That was a question posed by Dr. Wayne Dyer at an event I had the privilege of attending last week. It was a conversation by Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra and while I honestly have not read any of their works, I’d heard amazing things and really wanted to see what these two had to say. Low and behold at the end of the night Wayne hoped on stage and spoke for a lil’ while. It was what you might call a spiritual powerhouse. 

While I was pretty lucky to be at this sold out event with only 800 people in attendance, I kind of left still wanting. I thought perhaps I would get so much more out of it or have this grand spiritual awakening. I didn’t. I left and we stopped and got some fish tacos for dinner. 

However, a few days later. I was on my way to work. I had extra time, I was hungry and I wanted a donut, perfect! 

Then a lil’ voice in my head asked “Is that really loving yourself?”

Crap! Get out of my head Wayne Dyer, I want a donut! Now!

The answer as you might guess was pretty simple. I didn’t get a donut. What I did find though was that this was one of the most simple and sweet diet decisions I had made in a long time. It was a very simple question and a really simple answer. It didn’t make a set of rules responsible. It didn’t make my fear of failure of following a diet or not following a diet responsible, it just posed a simple question. 

“Is getting a donut really loving yourself?” 

I’m here to say that I think somedays it might very well be. However, most days it probably isn’t.

I’ve absolutely had that conversation with friends too where I’ve stated “I love myself!” and while that might be true in a grand sense of things. Actions speak louder than words. 

I’ve struggled with losing weight my whole life. I have a thyroid issue, I actually eat relatively well, I don’t eat much processed foods or sugary junk, but I do eat out a lot. So now this question is popping up when I have the chance to go out with friends, I have been asking ‘Is that really loving yourself?’ And for me, who is saving money to go on a few trips and who is trying to lose weight, it really isn’t. It’s nowhere near. 

However, asking that question. 

In that manner. 

Makes all the difference in the world. It ultimately gives us full responsibility for ourselves. We can respond however we want. We really only have ourselves to answer to. 

So this week, when I wanted to get sushi with a friend I hadn’t seen for awhile, the answer was yes, this is loving myself. When I wanted to skip yoga, because I was sleepy, the answer was no. When I wanted to watch more tv, the answer was no. 

It’s been more peaceful this way. It’s much easier. This question while completely different, may just be a life changer. 

~ x ~ 

misty