...is the first secret to happiness."
Welcome to the last day of June, signalling that we have already completed over half of 2021!
The subject for this months blog focuses on awareness of the importance of ourself, as this has been something which has come to the forefront of my mind in recent days and weeks.
The words above by Robert Morley demonstrate the importance of self - love and how these emotions are vital for us to embrace in order to expand our love even further.
Here is a quick recent example to illustrate this. Two weeks ago, the world witnessed a terrifying situation. An international football player collapsed during the Euro 2020 clash between Finland and Copenhagen. The 29-year-old went into cardiac arrest on the football pitch and a 16,000 - strong crowd in the stadium were silent out of respect for Christian Eriksen. Remarkably, the medical team were able to revive him on the pitch and he was rushed to hospital, already in a stable condition. Five days later, he was discharged after an operation to help his heart and after visiting the team, he went on to spend time with his family. There has not been much discussion surrounding his future football career but the fact that he has not seem to have been worried by this, shows an awareness from him of the unpredictability of life and how essential it is to take care of yourself.
Louise Hay said:
"Remember, you have been criticising yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens."
This seems so relevant in today’s society where we are faced by so many daily decisions, pressures and considerations which affect how we feel about ourselves.
Taking time to enjoy a beautiful sunset and breathe may be the perfect antidote for a busy week.
This was taken during a fantastic experience of dinghy racing in Torbay last weekend and encapsulated the following words - the calm before the storm!
According to stats by SelfEsteemSchool, a whopping 85% of the world's population are affected by low self esteem and that low self-esteem is the universal common denominator among all people suffering from addictions to any and all mind altering substances such as alcohol.
This recalls Louise Hay’s words above and begs the question: why don’t we alter how we act and feel about ourselves and see if there is a different result in our lives?
Which path are you going to choose?
There are two important aspects for us to consider in relation to being self - aware and which I think could be helpful as we move out of the restrictions in the next few weeks. Remember that we are all different and unique individuals and therefore may react differently to the changing circumstances. However, there are two aspects which are significant for us all to think about: self - love and self - care.
One dictionary definition of self-love is “the instinct or desire to promote one’s own well-being; regard for or love of one’s self.”.
Self-love is about unconditionally accepting ourselves. It includes how we talk to ourselves, our feelings about ourselves, and some of our actions. It’s not necessarily about thinking that every single part of our personality and body are fabulous. Instead, it is about loving ourselves despite any perceived imperfections or flaws.
Sometimes, when people are described as someone who ‘loves them-self’, it’s in a negative context.
There’s a misconception that loving ourselves automatically means we’re boastful, self-important, and have an overly-inflated opinion of ourselves.
We use the term ‘self-love’ differently. When we use it, we’re talking about wrapping ourselves in a hug. Caring for, and being kind to ourselves. Seeing ourselves as worthy; someone who deserves to be comfortable.
We don’t believe these things because we’re egotistical, self-important or vain, but because we deserve to be loved, cared for, and okay.
Take a minute now while you’re reading this blog.
Be realistic with yourself: how often do you tell yourself that you are worthy to be happy?
Maybe this is something that you can work on for yourself.
"Your greatest responsibility is to love yourself and to know you are enough"
And sometimes, you might need a hot chocolate and a stack of pancakes in the sunshine to remind yourself that you are worth it!
Self-care encompasses all the things we can do to care for ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
It can range from basic self-care, such as cleaning our teeth / brushing our hair and getting to bed at a reasonable time, to the things that help us feel better but aren’t perhaps as essential, such as setting some time aside to read a book, listening to music or even treating ourselves to our favourite bubble bath.
And even a creamy hot chocolate can work wonders!
We may think that self-care is costly, as we may need the latest and most fashionable clothes, or an expensive and extensive beauty treatment but this does not have to be the case. Self - care can be much broader and differs from person to person. Unfortunately, many of us may regularly view self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority. Consequently, we are left feeling overwhelmed, drained, and ill-equipped to handle life's inevitable challenges.
It's important to assess how you're caring for yourself in several different ways so you can ensure you're caring for your mind, body, and spirit.
Whatever helps you to care for yourself is a fundamental part of your life.
A book...
A DVD...
Or perhaps a slice of your favourite Victoria sponge or cake...
Katie Reed said:
“Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what’s left of you”
Rather than completely exhaust yourself of all your reserves of energy, why not allow yourself the time to think about how it may be best to react or behave in the present situation and then act accordingly?
At the very least, these considerations may give you some more *food for thought*!
I hope you have found this blog topic useful and I urge you to take the time and space for yourself to consider increasing your self - love and self - care in the months to come. I also hope you have enjoyed the plethora of delightful foodie pictures which have accompanied this blog - lockdown has provided me with the opportunity of experimenting with cooking and baking which has been truly delightful.
After all, Jim Rohn's words encompass the importance of our physical bodies with his words: "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."
I continue to post daily foodie inspiration on the brand social media channels and am delighted to have a collaboration with another small brand Nutbuttercollection and their range of delicious nut butters.
You can get a 20% discount with my code NUTBUTTERISLIFE so please do check out their website by clicking on the embedded link if this may be a yummy way for you to increase your self-care :)
Thank you for all your continued support for the brand instagram account and I hope you enjoy the range of foodie inspiration which continues daily. I am continuing with breakfast bowl inspiration and I hope you enjoy taking the time to make your creations in the kitchen with whatever takes your fancy! I was fortunate to be able to take a trip earlier in June to visit Bettys in Harrogate which was a pleasure and a great example of people taking love and attention with their job and themselves, as the service was delightful.
Here is a collection of recent foodie favourites enjoyed during the month of June...
Sunday Sunrise Sounds continues each week on Lymm Radio 6-8am - listen for my latest new promo and I hope you can continue to enjoy a plethora of different tunes and quotes as a relaxing way to end your week!
Tune into the radio show via your smart speaker or via this link...a positive way to start the day! #localradio
I conclude June's blog with a quote by Jon Acuff:
"Self awareness takes a while. Be forgiving"
Wishing you a wonderful last day of June and hope you are able to embrace some of what you may have learnt in these words today!
Happy June,
Sitara xxx
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