Monday 12 January 2009

New Improved You!

An article caught my eye about the gift of giving..how for 30days, you should give one thing away per day, a book, a seat on the train, clothes to total strangers & how wonderfully uplifting is was for the giver...it got me thinking again! about how we could take the same principle one step further...
Yes I agree, its feels sooo good to give, to know your actions small or big have made a positive difference to another....the gift of giving to oneself would therefore have a similar impact no? It also feels sooo good to give to yourself, it is not an act of selfishness, it is a act of self love, to reconfirm that we are worth quality time, deserve to be nurtured, valued, loved.
To connect & take care of oneself enables you to give at a far deeper level, to feel passion for yourself, that then spills over into whatever you are doing...so what are you up to for the next 30 days?

Here's some examples for giving to yourself, have a go & see how good you feel.
 
1.Check out your underwear drawer! Throw out anything that's chewing gum grey, old, worn out, holey, you hate, unwanted gift...literally love the knickers/underpants you are in, the world feels a sunnier place already! Knowing your smalls are in order, actually DOES help you feel in control of your life. No I'm not mad, give it a go!
2.Have a good sort through of all your products in your cupboard. It all money sitting on your shelves! Is there anything that you haven't used, can't use, can you trade with a friend, give it away, actually use it?..strange idea I know! Really look at what was a impulse purchase to make you feel better..did the product actually work? Or better still why did you buy it in the first place?!
3.Time to clear your mind & try some mediation, attend a class, make your own class, follow a CD. Quieten the mind & the little voices of internal dialogue quieten too! Just start with a few minutes a day & build up. Don't have time?!...light a candle & just sit quietly, mesmerized by the changing beauty of the flame.
4.Make a visualisation board of all the things that you would like to bring into your life, a new house, abundance, car, job, relationship, family, friendships, hobbies, holidays..its your board, your dreams to become your reality. Then put your board somewhere where you can see it everyday to remind yourself of the reality you want to create. Our brain knows no difference between yesterday today & tomorrow, so think it, be it, become it!
5.Try a little experiment, dry body brush half your body for a week. Always working towards the heart, lightly brush our skin to aid lymphatic flow. The Body Shop have a good selection. Guaranteed you will see a difference in tone on the side you brush & the side you didn't!
6.Scrub up well! Exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate. Our body naturally exfoliates daily, its not dust particles as you flick the duvet to make the bed, its tiny bits of you!! Use a granule based body exfoliant, twice a week, on dry skin, yes dry skin & then hop into the shower & work the product over your skin with a little water. For added pampering hydrate the skin afterwards for silky softness.
7.Try out a new look, whether that's wearing your hair or make up differently, growing a goatee, shaving one off!.
8.Without taking any money with you, go & try on lots of different clothes in a shop, even better, go into a shop you have never been to see if its for you, gently stepping outside your comfort zone...what styles suit you, what colours look good, try a new perfume, aftershave. If you really really like anything, you can always ask the shop to hold for you. We often see ourselves in a particular way & stay that way for a long time! Take an honest friend with you, or find a honest assistant in the shop..it an interesting experience & a real eye opener.
9.Trim your nails every week for 4 weeks in a row, this help strengthen the nails, by looking at your cuticles & filing your nails to follow that shape, will automatically flatter your hand...good advice for men & women!
10.Really look in the mirror, engaging eye contact with yourself, can you actually look yourself in the eye, what is it that you see, what thoughts come up for you? Its harder than you think! Smile at yourself, does your face light up with a smile? Absolutely! Repeat daily if you can.
11.Follow up to the above, ask at least 10 friends to describe you in one positive word...write all the words either on the visualisation board or  
a personal favourite, write them on post-it notes & stick around your bathroom mirror, so every time you look in the mirror, you are reconfirming you are loved. Guaranteed friends see you differently to how you see yourself!
12.Or one step further, ask the same friends one thing that you would might deem a negative remark...sit with the results!..squirmy yes!..worth it..definately! & then take whatever has come up for you to your next   healing session. Embracing the negative in ourselves & choosing to turn it into a positive actually makes us stronger because we become balanced..small steps big RESULTS X
13.Stuck in a gut with your skincare? Book in for a free consultation in a beauty & holistic centre to see what they could offer you..most places will happily spend time with you, usually its a 15 mins consultation..if they don't do it..its not the place for you!  You don't know until you ask!..it could the start of a very good thing.
14.Try a herbal colon cleanse! Oxytech is fab! Takes approx 2-3months & is easily fitted into your daily routine. Spring clean, spring clean, spring clean!
15.Create a spa at home experience! Candles round the bath, soothing music, heavenly scented perfect temperature bath all for you..no interruptions, no phone..no one else sharing!...its all just for you. Truly soak & unwind, allowing your mind to wander & dream...warm fluffy towels..you get the message!
16.Another personal favourite..get your calender & make a date with yourself each week if you can or definitely once a month. Whether its a massage, lunch with friends, walking along the beach, quality time with a loved one, walk in the country, afternoon tea at the Grand, simply reading a book, retail therapy without your purse!..what does it for you? The sky is NOT the limit!
17.Still using the calendar, (you heard this one last issue!) list a few things that you want to achieve each month, kinda like business planning for your life!...January could be plan a short break for April..by 'chunking' bite sizes of your life, you get to have all these lovely things in your life, without trying too hard & life flows!
18.Do you buy beautiful flowers for other people? How about yourself? When the florists ask if they're  gift, say yes!
19.Wander around your house & really look at what you have..do you LOVE IT or HATE IT?..This works with children too!! do they love their toys, things in their rooms? or has it lost its energy for you? Trade it, give it away. If it was a gift, the person gave it to you, so you are free to do what YOU want with it, even if it giving it to a charity shop! If they ask where it is or get upset, then they didn't or haven't truly given it!!
20.Do the snuggle test..the inner child in you will love this! Try feeling all different fabrics & materials, what works for you...can you feel the difference between 50%cotton/50%poly cotton & 400count Egyptian cotton? Absolutely!  What feels better for you? Chenille, faux fur, silk, 600count cotton?..having your favourite bedding to snuggle into is in one word heaven.
21.Ever put something off because you simply hate doing it, don't have time to do it?! Take 15! Take 15 minutes & just do it, time yourself for 15 minutes. If you want to carry on after the 15 minutes is up, that's ok.  Be it writing that letter, thank you card, returning a friends phone call straight away! paperwork! decluttering an underwear drawer, reading a book because you NEVER have time! The huge amount of satisfaction you feel after doing something you have been putting off is highly addictive! Don't leave it for tomorrow, do it today..do it NOW! Make it a new habit.

22-30 is all up to YOU!!! This is YOUR year, shake it up, wake it up, live it, be your ultimate you! Small steps...HUGE RESULTS!

Back to Blog Home

To comment on this story register here, or sign in here.

Archives

2010 (10)

August (1)

July (3)

June (3)

May (2)

January (1)

2009 (17)

November (7)

October (3)

July (1)

April (1)

February (3)

January (2)

2008 (2)

November (2)