“If we really love ourselves, everything in our life works” — Louise Hay
I don’t know if you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, however, for some its a day to do something special, like go to dinner, wear red, give gifts of roses or chocolates. It’s a day when we spend money to let someone close to us know that they matter to us—something we can do, and should be doing, every day with our words and actions.
For sure its a day when florists, jewellers, chocolate and card companies do a thriving trade leading up to this leading commercial day each year.
Even with the front pages of the daily papers displaying an orgy of crime and mayhem and the back pages littered with vivid headlines about poor sport governance and the unhappy consequences, one may very well feel inclined to pass on Valentine’s Day which begs the question—where’s the love?!
It now appears that it’s normal to Hate, display Anger or Mean spiritedness even as citizens look to celebrate, but will be asking—where is the love this Valentine’s Day 2017?
With so much cynicism and pessimism forming the basis for the majority of conversations, I can recall a conversation I had a few weeks ago where I was seeking to explain to someone that the goal to achieve ten or more Olympic gold medals by 2024 was more than simply an objective to win medals, but instead, a journey of self knowledge—loving yourself, your family, your community, your sport, your country and yourself.
I need not say that my renderings was received with much scorn and jocular mirth as I found myself repeating, “not really,” “I am serious,” “no... I am not joking.” But to no avail, and in the end we venture on our separate ways with me walking away shaking my head in quiet disbelief and the other with a laughing fit and hiccups.
It had me thinking about self-love and how we are socialised to believe it is selfish and narcissistic towards each other. How can you show love to anyone or anything if you are overcome by self-hate and self-contempt?
Most people are living in an illusion based on someone else’s beliefs so unless you are prepared to under take a journey of self-discovery and self-knowledge we will never be able to discover the deeper subconscious beliefs that are holding us back and blocking us from living the kind of life we would love to live. Note the use of the word love. However, we must take time to examine what are the limiting subconscious beliefs holding us back?
Also, we must ask ourselves how do you open up the space to invite the awesome beliefs and experiences that you would love to experience in your life? In addition, arrogance and conceit aren’t the same as self-love and confidence since other people’s opinions of us matter more than our opinion of ourselves. The key to being the best you you can be is to get validation from within—love and trust yourself, have a purpose and be committed to creating a reality based on your limitless potential.
So what’s the point of today’s column? It is simple, this Valentine’s Day 2017, give yourself a gift, feel comfortable loving yourself, appreciate how special you are, do things you love, don’t compare yourself to others and forgive yourself no matter what anyone else think of you.
It may make the world of positive difference to those around you and in turn be the best Valentine’s Day gift they have received from you.
#10 golds24, #futureisfemale, #TeamTTO, #nextchampion #sportindustryTT are all Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee initiatives that are about encouraging and empowering youth and young people to follow their hearts into the great unknown and to take a great leap of faith even though others may doubt or criticise you.