Dear Readers!
In honor of this day I wanted to make sure that my readers are being taken care of. So much of this day can be lost in the chocolate, flowers, and Hallmark cards... but we have to remember that none of that is going to matter if we don't each appreciate ourselves first! With that said I thought I'd give a few of my own tips of how to appreciate ourselves -- Enjoy!


5 Tips to Appreciate Yourself:


1. Get Rested. Are you on the mend from a fracture? Just getting over a stomach bug? Whatever it is that you think you must get done right now - could probably wait at least another 30min. Take a nap! Personally, I am a big fan of naps now that I am over the age of 18.. Feeling physically energized and well rested is one of the surest ways to tell your body that "yes that New Years' resolution wasn't just for the first 5 days of 2012, I do intend on putting my body first this year.." 


2. Take time for a pastime. What's your hobby? What brings you joy? It doesn't need to be an extravagant time consuming thing, it could be as simple as going for a walk, seeing a movie, or painting! The point is to bring joy to your life by allowing your mind and soul to mingle together over something fun. Just ask my friends, I work a lot and it's annoying for them, for me, and a lot of people around me. But by allowing myself time to read fiction or play a few tunes on the piano, I am able to de-stress and am a far more pleasant person to be around. I see it as downtime to recharge while still being awake and conscious.

3. Go do that thing you've been meaning to. Seriously, why are you putting it off? Do you have a legitimate reason? Or is it because you've just been too distracted and 'busy' with the trillion other things? We all have those little things on our list of "things I've always wanted to do.." that have gotten pushed to the back burner for long enough. By allowing ourselves time to explore new things, accomplish new tasks, learn new skills we are able to grow and expand as people. It's exciting! It's refreshing! For the longest time now I've been meaning to write a new song on the piano, so finally over the weekend I dug out the keyboard and got to work. It just so happens that I was able to accomplish a lot more than just writing a new song, I re-discovered a thrill and challenge that I have missed for a long time without even knowing it.

4. Belly laugh. (The other part of that being)... at yourself. If you're not good at it, then get practicing because being able to find humor in yourself sends positive vibes radiating for miles around you. My favorite people to be around are those who willingly laugh at themselves, who are comfortable and secure enough in themselves as people to be able to say "you know what, that freak out that I had was ridiculous and absurd.." Last week I realized that I was overly stressed out and anxious the whole week (to the point of almost crying every night..) when the thing I was stressed out about wasn't even that big of a deal. This week I have to face the same thing, but after having chuckled at how ridiculously spaz-monkey I was being about it last week - I now know that I don't need to waste so much energy stressing out about it anymore!

5. You are awesome. We all have things that we need to improve upon, personal faults that we wish we could change, personal goals that we wish we could have accomplished (..2 years ago..) - but now's the time to trust yourself that all of that will get done. It will get done because you are a capable person who appreciates themselves, and by doing so the rest of your effort and thinking that you put to whatever it is you aim to accomplish will all be coming from a confident place filled to the brim with your own positive self-worth. So go ahead, look in the mirror and tell yourself that "I am awesome!" Go ahead.. I'll keep a look out and make sure no one's watching..