start with self-love

I can hear the lighthearted melody of the children’s song “Magic Penny” by Malvina Reynolds playing in my mind. The song is sweet, but its message is profound. The recurring lyric, “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more,” beautifully captures the surprising and magical gift of self-love. The idea that love, when shared, grows exponentially applies not only to the love we give to others but also to the love we offer ourselves.

What would it feel like to give yourself love freely—without guilt or conditions?

It might be worth exploring.

Here’s a thought exercise to guide you:

1. Bring to mind a mild to moderately difficult situation in your life—not the most challenging, but something that holds personal significance.

2. Take a few moments to reflect on the situation's contours and how it makes you feel. Whatever emotions arise—whether singular or a blend—allow them to be fully present in this moment.

3. Now, ask yourself: What do I most need or want to hear right now? What would bring me comfort? Identify those words or actions.

4.      Next, translate this self-awareness into action. Offer yourself the kindness or reassurance or encouragement you’ve identified. If it feels tricky or even impossible, try shifting your perspective: How can you adapt those words or actions to give yourself at least a little of what you need? If this feels difficult (which is normal! self-love is a practice), you might try asking yourself what you would say or do for a good friend if they were in your shoes - then take those same words and turn them toward your own heart.

5.      Finally, take time to reflect on this experience:

·        What did you notice?

·        What surprised you?

·        What insights or tools can you carry with you moving forward?

The act of extending love to yourself is a powerful, transformative practice. By doing so, you may just find, like the song says, that the more you give, the more you have. 

Photo Credit: Mikhail Kalinin, Animalist Photographer

Exciting news to share!

The practice of self-love in my own life has inspired me to embark on a creative project. My goal is to craft accessible tools for anyone—whether you're my client or simply on your own self-discovery journey—to cultivate a deeper, more loving relationship with themselves. I'm excited to introduce The Self-Love Series: Guided Visualizations for Self-Love. The debut episode will be released next month, and you’ll find it right here on this blog. This project has been a long time in the making. These audio-based guided visualizations center around the theme of self-love, with each episode tailored to address common challenges we all face as human beings: rejection, shame, loss, anger, and more – while building mental resilience and cultivating self-love to meet those inevitable moments of struggle.

Stay tuned!