It is a truth NOT unversally understood, that we should put ourselves first when it comes to those loving gestures we're supposed to make on Cupid's Day ... and every other day.
WHAT??
It's true. If we don't love ourselves enough to put ourselves first, in a positive way, then no one else will truly love us, either.
Oh, I'm not talking about buying yourself the biggest box of chocolates and bouquet of roses, and leaving no money to buy treats for your loved ones.
I'm talking about the things we women so often fail to give ourselves. Things we see the heroines of many of our favorite romances struggling for, and gaining.
Permission to Dream - go ahead, dream big! Then get your curvy butt in gear, and it may just come true. Did you know the author of The Help had her manuscript rejected over 50 times before a far-sighted editor finally snapped it up? Personally, my first manuscript was accepted, but that's because it took me 20 years (yes, count 'em) to get the courage to send my work to a publisher.
Humor - learn to laugh at your mistakes. My favorite saying has become 'Well, these things keep me humble'. I get to use it a lot more than I'd like, but it does help remind me to laugh when I do something dumb. We're human, we're gonna fail, sometimes epic-ly. If you laugh first, others are laughing with you, not at you.
Self-respect - You are worthy ... of respect, of love, of recognition. From yourself, and from those around you. Accept nothing less from yourself, and you'll learn to walk away from others who cannot or will not behave the same.
Finally, and this is the biggest on the list ...
Time - to exercise, to read, to window shop, to get a babysitter and have a girls' night out. To write a book if that's what you want to do. Anything important takes time. Give it to yourself, anyway you can.
And remember, God loves you just the way you are. You are a work in progress, and he sees exactly what is supposed to happen. I love the analogy that our lives are like a woven tapestry. We look up and see the messy, dangling threads underneath, but he looks down and smiles at the beautiful tapestry of our lives. One day he'll show it to us, but for now, keep weaving.
And treat yourself to whatever you need most ... even if it's just a little romance.
See you in a good book,
Cathryn
PS. Stop by these Valentine blogs as well ...
Author Selena Robins @ http://selenarobinsmusings.com/
Title of Blog: Let's Hear It For the Boys (I
have quotes from men of all ages and backgrounds on what Valentine's Day and
romance means to them).
I'm also giving away a gift certificate in a
draw!
