February is the month to celebrate love. Card companies encourage us to tell others how much we love them. I am encouraging us to begin telling ourselves how much we love who we are. The month of February is a perfect time to list on Post-it notes all the things that we love about ourselves and to acknowledge our unique qualities (then post them throughout your home and office). What is special about our personality, our bodies and our souls? While loving others is important, the greatest love is the love we have of our life! Denying ourselves good self-care prevents us from loving ourselves fully. Many times we put the needs of others ahead of our own. In the name of love we sacrifice taking care of ourselves for the welfare of family and friends. Good self-care means continued personnel growth in five areas; physical, emotional spiritual, intellectual and fiscal. This February celebrate by treating yourself lovingly.

Physical
Take the time to notice your body and your belief system about your body. I recently had a discussion with a friend about what we often define as "normal" in our physical selves.If you are over 30 you think the crick in your knee is "normal" - it's not.We may think that a stomach gurgle is "normal" - it's not. Dried mucous in our nose or too much mucous is "normal" - it's not. Learn about nutrition and how certain foods make your body feel. Talk to people about their nutritionist and make an appointment. Modify your food plan according to your body's reactions. This is a big change for many us (especially for me). However, I am willing to take the same steps because I want my body to be filled with energy, lightness and health.... Don't you?

Emotional
Feeling sad is one of those emotions that can make people uncomfortable. Have you ever noticed that when you are sad everyone wants to cheer you up? It's okay to feel sad sometimes. Perhaps your best friend is moving away or your pet passed away, be sad. Sadness is a wonderful emotion that allows us to appreciate that whichwe are missing. Imagine not having experienced the person, place or thing, our lives would have missed a wonderful relationship or experience. Sometimes we force ourselves change our experience, to not feel the pain, because it hurts too much. Feel the pain. Through the pain we gain strength, through our pain we gain understanding and empathy for others. It is only when wego through the pain that we can, once again, appreciate the light and be gratified for all that we have.

Spiritual

Are you trying to prove a point? Often we take on a project or activity and give it more importance than it deserves. It may be that you are studying for a big exam or presentation. You are committed to doing well and you have been studying and practicing for days on end. Reading the literature over and over. You become frantic, because you are sure that you don't know the material. You are snapping at everyone around you. You have become a bundle of nerves. You feel out of control! Guess what, YOU ARE!

There comes a point when you have done everything that you can and you have to let go. At that point, when you feel overwhelmed out of control and are basically freaking out, do this simple exercise. Put your hand in you shirt and touch your skin so that you feel your heart beat. Close you eyes and concentrate on your heartbeat. Breathe in and breathe out. Become aware that you are alive, that you are a miracle and that you are perfect in this moment. Say to yourself "I love me, I am." Do this for several minutes. You will become calm, comforted and confident, knowing that all is well.

Intellectual

The next time you have a conversation with someone ask probing questions, so that you can learn more information. A friend shared with me how he has grown over time. He had heard me speak about my experiences with women engineers and women business owners. Recently, he had the opportunity to sell a particular company services that where geared to women scientists. He questioned the buyer about her needs and her experiences as an engineer. He shared information culled from his conversations with me. Three days later he found himself in a totally different situation speaking to a doctor of physics. He was able to parlay the information he gathered from his client and me to have an interesting in depth conversation with this woman. He shares about his growth "I used to be scared to ask questions because I thought people would think I was stupid. Instead I found that people think I'm smart because I keep learning and sharing!" Keep learning.....ask questions.

Fiscal

Throw it out, toss it out, and get rid of it. Do you want to know what freedom is? Toss out the things that are cluttering up your life. Toss out the nick-nacks that don'thave any deep personal value. Ask yourself, "Do I truly cherish this in my home?" If not, toss it out. Toss out clothing you haven't worn in a year. When you toss things out you make room for incredible abundance. New opportunities appear right before your very eyes. This is one of the most active steps you can take towards your financial independence. It is truly a gift to you!

Pegine Echevarria, MSW, copyrights all material on this site. Information from this site may be reprinted or quoted by members of the media, provided a specific credit to Pegine Echevarria, MSW is included.
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