While bloghopping, chanced upon this site that had me "reconnect with my inner Goddess". Can you believe that? I have an inner Goddess! :) It even has a name. Hathor.

Anyway, here's a self-love "To Do" which I invite all my friends to join.

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It's a Self-Love Affair!

By: Anita Ryan-Revel

When my single girlfriends wail that "there are no good men out there," I suggest that before they think about serious relationships and marriage, they first marry themselves in order to find true love.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

* Open heart
* Self love
* A willingness to throw out old habits and self loathing

Steps

1. Set Your Intention. Work out what you want to achieve by marrying yourself. For example, "a lifelong commitment from a partner in a relationship that exudes happiness at every turn." Before you can expect this commitment from someone else, you must first promise that you will do everything in your power to give this to yourself, every day.

2. Throw Out Self Loathing. Looking in the mirror and criticizing your imperfections? Laughing off compliments and dismissing nods to your brilliance? Flying under the radar so your super-stardom goes unnoticed? These are classic signs that you have a degree of self-loathing. Self-loathing only serves to block you from finding happiness within. When you radiate unhappiness, you attract unhappy people. Unhappy people are generally commitment-phobes. So get over yourself girl, and repeat after me: "Self-loathing is for suckers."

3. See Yourself As a Goddess. Begin to notice your perfections when you look in the mirror. Receive compliments as graciously and copiously as you give them. Say "yes, yes, YES" a lot, with revellious and delightful energy. Practice shameless acts of joy and master joyous acts of shame. Affirm yourself daily with delicious words including "magical, mystical, sparkling, juicy, ethereal, beauty, intuitive, divine." When you see yourself as Goddess, this is the gorgeous energy you radiate and hence, you begin to attract similarly gorgeous people into your life.

4. Be Your Own Best Friend. Tell yourself jokes. Spoil yourself rotten. Keep yourself entertained by doing what YOU want to do. Write down a promise to self that you will "never put baby in the corner." Flick "friends" that dare to support habits of self-loathing. Become a magnet to new friends that are a reflection of your perfection.

5. Create Your Day. Now that you are your own little solar system and the brightest little star at the center of your own cosmos, it is time to invite family and friends who love you as much as you love yourself, and to help you celebrate your rocking divinity. Picture your perfect ceremony in your head, see the smiling faces of your friends as they witness your joy, play with wedding vows until you have the perfect expression of your perfect self.

6. Let the Party Begin. Set the date, find your venue, send out invitations, and let the party of self-love begin.
   

Tips and Warnings

* Go overboard with fun and self-love.

* Do not marry yourself if you hear voices in your head that serve to sabotage your intentions for true, everlasting, undying, fulfilling, rip-roaring LOVE.

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I'm excited to proceed to #6. :) But one thing at a time. Let me do Step #1 first.

My own secrets are someone else's secrets too.

What is Draining You?
by Bo Sanchez

Get Rid Of It If You Can.

I don’t intend to write a complete list of how you need to care for yourself. (I’ll do that in another article.)

But here’s a question I want you to ask yourself: What is draining you?

What person, thing, activity, group, habit, situation, and places in your life drains your joy and life and energy and holiness? What sucks your happiness?

If you can get rid of that draining thing, do so!

By doing that, you’ll grow up and have more life and energy for the right things that God wants you to do.

In other words, I’m asking you to set your boundaries.

Let me list the probable “draining” things in your life…

1. Take care of your emotional health.

o I spend a lot of time with “emotional vampires”—people who are so dependent on me, or those who are exceedingly negative, or those who emotionally manipulate me…
o I still hang on to a dead-end romantic relationship
o I don’t have close friends
o I watch too much TV
o I don’t have time just to rest and reflect, to read and plan

2. Take care of your family life

o My relationship with my spouse / kids / family is shallow
o I have a long-standing conflict with a family member
o My home environment is chaotic
o I feel I’m not a great mother (father, son, daughter…)

3. Take care of your professional life

o I don’t enjoy my job
o I feel that I’m not fulfilling my mission in my job
o I feel that my core gifts can be used elsewhere
o I can no longer work with my co-workers
o I don’t see a future in my career

4. Take care of your physical health

o I don’t eat the right food
o I don’t sleep enough
o I don’t exercise enough
o I have a vice that’s robbing me of my health

5. Take care of your financial health

o I let “parasites” depend on me instead of letting them stand on their own
o I have huge debts
o I pay my bills late
o I don’t know where my money is going each month
o I don’t have savings and investment plan
o I know I won’t have enough for my retirement and old age

6. Take care of your spiritual health

o I’m in bondage to an addiction that’s draining me spiritually
o I focus on my sin, not on God’s love for me
o I don’t spend time with God
o I lack a faith community of friends to support me
o I feel I’m not following my own moral compass
o I feel I’m not serving God and others

If you checked any of the items above, do something about it! Ask for help.

But don’t get drained to the point that there’s nothing to give anymore.