Good afternoon to you!
I'm glad you're here.
The vibe is peaceful and my workout is about halfway done. My laptop is charged and ready to go.
It's time to blog!
Ever-so-rhythmic ticking and the gentle sounds of wind permeating the trees set the tone through the open window in front of me.
I'm about to pour my second cup of Folgers coffee as I dive fully into my creative, mental space. I'm here – ready to put it all on the line for this badass blog.
Vulnerability infuses my modus operandi as I attempt to share with you the worlds of cacophonous chaos and imaginative bliss that coexist in my mind.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, and I've finally found the beauty inside of myself.
Have you found yours?
Hey! I've got a challenge for you. Are you ready?
Focus.
Here's the challenge:
Think of a very specific quality about yourself that you love. Something that you truly appreciate and is unique to YOU.
Go ahead, think of something good. Show yourself some love and appreciation.
Once you've got your self-compliment ready, write it down! No, really. Write it down somewhere.
A journal. Sticky note. On your hand. Whatever! Just write it. The mind has a special connection to our handwritten words that makes it easier for us to remember what we've written.
When we write things down with pen and paper, it creates higher levels of brain activity than when we type (one of the only downsides of blogging, in my opinion).
Remembering what you love about yourself is of the highest importance. So go ahead and write yourself some lil' love notes!
Be intentional and honest with the compliments you give yourself.
Hopefully, your brain will start to acclimate to the idea that YOU are amazing and, more importantly, that you are genuinely loved by someone: you!
YOU love yourself and that is a fantastic thing.
Once you start to develop feelings of self-love, your confidence will grow, along with your empathy and ambition.
Love is a self-sustaining energy source that fuels the magic of life.
Without love – whether it's for yourself or others – the world becomes bleak. Simple things become harder to do because they're done out of obligation. Obligation without any form of love breeds resentment. Resentment becomes hatred. And hatred harms everyone around it.
This is why we must love ourselves.
A happy world starts with a happy you.
Self-love creates happiness. Happiness creates kindness and passion. Kindness and passion create love for others. And love for others allows for a happy, thriving community.
It all starts with love.
Some people are so deep in their self-hatred that they'll actually try to convince you that self-love is bad. They want you to have a hard time loving yourself because it's been so difficult for them to see any good in themselves.
Don't let them fool you.
Self-love isn't selfish.
Relaxation isn't selfish.
Taking a break from people, places and things isn't selfish.
While there's a difference between genuine self-love and gluttony, it's important to note that those lines may cross sometimes. And that's okay.
It's all about balance. Everything is about balance. As long as your self-love is aiding your overall happiness, health and spiritual journey, I think it's safe to say you're on the right track.
Allow yourself to be genuinely loved.
That's right! I said ALLOW.
Allowing yourself to be loved is a choice. Eventually, that choice becomes a habit and that habit becomes your energy.
If you do not allow yourself to experience love, who will?
Do not feel it vain or wrong to be appreciated, seen, heard and cared for.
Do not believe that you are unworthy of love.
That is one of the biggest traps you can fall into in this life.
Capitalism is scared of our self-love because they need us to keep buying their products that "make us better" or simply distract us from our soul's calling. Capitalism cares about profit, not people.
It's fine to buy things we love and need, but it's important to consider why we're buying the things we buy.
Is it a compulsion?
Is it a reaction?
Or is it something you genuinely want to do?
And hey, I get buying that $5 coffee! It's kind of the name of my blog, after all.
I'm just saying, be weary of how you spend your time, money and energy.
I'm not here to tell you what to buy and what not to buy. I'm here to inspire self-love, love for others and a happy, balanced lifestyle.
I'm not perfect, believe me, but my soul has this undying aspiration to help others heal.
Yes, I'm in the process of healing myself, and that's exactly why I know how important this blog is.
I'm willing to expose my naked mind and soul in an attempt to inspire your self-love.
I hope you've got at least one compliment written down for yourself.
Allow your brain to think of, write down and receive your compliment.
You're worth it.
Best,
Evelyn