Life is stressful — it goes without saying. An average day for the majority of people consists of back-to-back commitments and not a lot of “me time.” With that being said, it can be really hard to step back and realize it is time to focus on yourself. Think about it: how often do you take a break from the harsh realities and say, “It’s all about me, myself, and I from now on”? I can take a wild guess and shoot that it’s not all that common. Self-love and appreciation, while vital to leading a happy life and soul, is not only immensely difficult but also time consuming, which becomes nearly impossible with busy schedules.
But that’s okay, sometimes. With weights on our backs from full/part time jobs, education, society, family, friends and all that lies in between. However, it is truly important to make time to nurture a happy soul.
It may seem intimidating to completely revamp yourself, but you by all means do not have to move across the globe or start a new paleo diet in order to nurture that soul of yours into a vibrant essence of light. Baby steps and simple changes to your lifestyle can really transform you into a happier, more aware, and more appreciative version of the oh-so-awesome you!
Deborah King, The New York Times best-selling author and expert on energy healing, guides readers toward focusing on themselves by healing, thriving, and growing. King explains in her blog posts and programs about how detrimental self-acceptance and self-love are to becoming a better you. Here’s a broad explanation of what that includes, or at least, from my perspective.
Think about how hard it is to say “I love myself” and truly, deeply, wholeheartedly believe it. Maybe that one time isn’t so hard, but try doing that every single morning as soon as you wake up from your beauty sleep. Now, if you are one heck of a confident, empowering person, go you! For those who have a little bit of a harder time doing so, that’s okay and you are most definitely not the only one in that boat.
King discusses in her post for self-affirmation that, “Carry around guilt and shame is exhausting and self-destructive: negative beliefs are dense energy that drag you down and are likely the culprit at the root of your physical and emotional problems.”
In other words, don’t look in the mirror and pick out your flaws. You are only human, we all have our baggage and you are beautiful just the way you are. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself for your own mistakes, we all make them, and guilt will just dim your bright light of a happy soul.
Furthermore, King empowers readers to know that once, “you stop thinking about yourself negatively, you release all that heavy energy and are able to transform your life into one of happiness. And being happy and healthy is your birthright.”
Boosting self-confidence and becoming more aware are internal fixes to motivate yourself and nurture your happy soul. But, sometimes it’s also important to adjust external changes to your life as well. There are a multitude of options to choose from to create a better, more positive environment for your happy soul to thrive in.
If you have a new room to decorate, office desk to pretty up, or just a nook to make your new happy place, you can create a tranquil environment to resort to. According to The Daily Positive, soft colors that are neutral or can be found in nature can really help reduce stress levels and let that soul of yours thrive. Whether this may include repainting your bedroom walls or adding some pastel frames, these small to large changes will all lead to baby steps to a happier, more positive you.
Another add to a room or office can be the addition of essential oils. Margarita Alcantara, a woman of many celebrations (M.S.Ac, L.Ac, Reiki Master/Teacher, and Medicine Woman) advises people to add essential oils to their every day life routines to really enhance your soul. To quiet the mind, Alcantara suggests using Sandalwood. Rose oils promotes love and forgiveness and Geranium oils allows us to open up to any shame or guilt in a gentle yet powerful manner.
Leading a life of positivity to enlighten your soul of its fullest, most vibrant capacity sounds like a picture perfect scenario. Nobody said it is easy though. But, it does get easier once those baby steps are applied to a daily routine. So try and take some of those stresses away and relax. Get rid of any shame or guilt and think positive and into the future. Minimize your environment and color it with the beauties of nature. Rub those essential oils or diffuse them into the air you breathe. Sit back, love yourself, and become more aware.
It’s time to nurture your happy soul.
First Image Courtesy of Author