Written by Michelle Robinson
Welcome to Life-Chat in 2023. I hope this year brings you joy, love, and your highest level of wellbeing.
It was while pondering thoughts about my own wellbeing that I had a light-bulb moment.
I realized how easy it is to slip into unhelpful language when we are trying to change a habit band January seemed the right month to talk about this issue. The beginning of a New Year often brings reflection and perhaps goal setting around our health and lifestyle. Yet, so often, good intentions are like sparklers on a birthday cake. They blaze brightly, fueling our hopes and motivation for a short while but fizzle out all too soon.
My light-bulb moment was this: Unless we genuinely believe we are worthy of self-kindness, how can we ever treat ourselves with the respect we need to create happiness and wellbeing?
Believing that we are worthy of self-kindness means we want to look after our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. We will easily and consistently choose habits, behaviours and thoughts that promote balance and wellbeing each day.
Rather than thinking: “I have to lose weight. I must stop over-eating and give up all the treats I enjoy”. We should think: “I love the way my body feels when I eat light, nutritious foods. I have heaps of energy and feel great”.
Rather than thinking: “I have to stop smoking this year. My kids won’t stop nagging me”.
We think: “It’s time for me to honour my lungs and my body. I deserve to live a healthy life. I am completely committed to being smoke-free for the rest of my life”.
How we frame the messages we give ourselves makes all the difference between enjoying a positive choice (that we have freely made) and feeling like we are being punished by our choices (but have to do ‘the right thing’ anyway. Grr.)
With any change in behaviours and habits, the key ingredient for success is long-term consistency. Small slip-ups are not huge failures and are never an excuse to give up. However, as I realized in the wee hours one morning recently, believing that I deserve kindness and that I am the person most responsible for offering that to myself, is the most powerful motivator for change I can think of.
Without believing we are worthy of kindness, health and happiness, every attempt to make a significant change in our lives just feels like hard work.
Wishing you oodles of self-kindness and positive thinking this month and always.
Until next time, have a wonderful month.
Remember, if you would like to stay connected with me to receive positive tips for life each morning, feel welcome to join my free Facebook group “Your Intuitive Gifts At Work.” Here is a direct link where you can join my group https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourintuitivegiftsatwork