On this Valentine’s Day, you may be really good at celebrating the love you have for your partner, family, and friends.
And, how about the love you have for yourself?
I’m not talking about self care. Don’t get me wrong. I love bubble baths and time on my meditation cushion.
I’m talking about one of the most powerful ways to cultivate more love and compassion for yourself. It’s about going deep and looking at what you’re hiding.
Emotional eating was my big secret. I remember when I was trying to balance my growing family, a great job in corporate finance, and my triathlon training schedule. On the outside, you may have thought I had my shit together.
I didn’t want you to see the empty candy wrappers. I didn’t want you to notice my bloated belly. I didn’t want you to know how crappy I felt about myself.
If you knew my secret, what would you have thought of me?
You may not want to even witness certain parts of yourself. But, what if you took a gentle peak?
Keeping my emotional eating patterns in the dark only made them more shameful. I was my toughest judge and my cruelest jury.
Over time, I started to understand emotional eating in a new way. When I did, I started to feel self-compassion. Ahh. I love how light I feel when I’m kind to myself.
As you celebrate love today, I invite you to consider what you’ve been keeping in the dark. What if your secrets aren’t as awful as you’ve been believing?
My friend Doris Wittmann reminds us “To know yourself is to love yourself.” Get to know your whole self. It’s the path to loving yourself.