Writing a love letter to yourself ...

Have you ever written a love letter to yourself?  Today is the perfect day to do this.    

It's so very true that the most important relationship we will ever have, is the one we have with ourselves.  There's no better day than today, to create time and space to love and appreciate yourself. 

We so often look to others for love, or to seek some kind of reassurance or validation. But if we really choose to love ourselves, it's necessary and truly supportive to find that self worth and self compassion, within ourselves.  

​It's a funny thing that we find it hard to write a letter to ourselves.  I've suggested this to people and a common response is often - What would I say? I don't where to start.  Or even - I don't know what I really love about myself, I can't think of something.    

If this is you, and you're thinking these thoughts, then I encourage you even more so to do this.  It's a healthy and necessary thing to know and acknowledge what we love about ourselves.  It's a beautiful thing to be able to say 'I love this about myself' and truly believe it with your entire being.  

Create some time and space today, or even right now.   Pick up  a pen, find a notepad and open it to a fresh new page, and start writing, just as your thoughts and words flow.  Or your computer if that's what feels best.  

How do I start to write a letter to myself?  Well, there really isn't a set process or way of doing this.  I like to think of it as an intuitive free-flow exercise.  Whatever you write is just meant to come up, and if you find it challenging to find the words or  you're focussing on something that's not so kind - then simply notice it, pay attention to it, let it be there but without judgement.  Then consciously choose another thought or another way of seeing yourself.  It's all part of this beautiful process of loving ourselves through all of our perceived limitations and imperfections.  It may mean we acknowledge how challenging it feels, and this in itself, can open us to allowing a deep love for all parts of who we are.      

And remember, this is your letter.  It's just for you.  You can choose whether you write to yourself, right now, in this present moment.  Or perhaps you'd like to write to your inner child.   That's another way you could do this, and this can bring up some very loving reminders of everything you've moved and changed through, and all the ways you've chosen to do this, over the years.  You'll truly discover some beautiful things about yourself when you look to just how far you've come and the whole journey, and really choose to embrace all parts of yourself through it all, with self compassion and with love.  

I wrote my own letter this morning.  I hadn't written a love letter to myself like this for years, and I wanted to take my own advice.  I reminded myself of lots of things where I can honestly say, 'I really love this about myself' or 'I love how I am with that person' or 'I love how I made that choice' or 'I love how I did that' or 'this is something I'm really good at doing'.   

I noticed the resistance, I noticed my mind considering whether this was my ego speaking and why I felt that way, I noticed where I held back, and I noticed what I found challenging to be honest about.  Even just with myself.  But now, I have this beautiful loving letter of words from my heart with truth.  It's a perfectly imperfect collection of words, feelings, emotions through phases and stages of life, especially the last recent years.  As I read back on what I'd written as all the words came pouring out, I felt proud and I felt empowered to just keep on being myself, because who I am and how I am is always more than enough. 

There's nothing more important than knowing who we are, and loving ourselves just as we are.    

Whatever or however this feels right for you, just write.  You might even start by looking at yourself in the mirror.  Ignoring what you see as imperfect or any flaws.  And instead, looking at yourself and saying aloud the things you love about the face looking back at you.  And then looking a little deeper, seeing behind your own eyes. 
Then extending that to all the things you feel proud of.  Keep writing down all your accomplishments and strengths.  All the things that may feel small, and the larger ones too. Write them all down as a collection of all these things to see and to celebrate. 

You might enjoy taking yourself along a journey of your life, or remind yourself of different phases and stages you've moved through, ways you've carried yourself, how you are with others, memories and moments of joy and beauty that come to mind, the choices you're proud of making, the ways you love others - all the things you know about yourself to be true and to be authentically you.  They are all so very loveable.    

You don't have to overcomplicate it.  Just write whatever flows and comes out, and  allow this beautiful free flow writing to capture the true essence of yourself.  Let go of what holds you back and lean into the beautiful truth of who you are.  There is so much about you, about all of us and within us all, that is so unique and such a gift.    

There is no one else like you, and that's such a precious thing to acknowledge.    

Allow yourself to see and love yourself in ways others do, and you will find such beautiful acceptance and freedom in this.  

I'd love to hear your thoughts as you write your own love letter to yourself today.  

With love
x Katie 

PS. If you've enjoyed reading this journal piece, you might like to receive my regular 'Letters of Support' and you can sign up through this link and download a free ebook as a gift too - https://www.katiejanewellness.com/resources.html

PPS. If you know you'd truly benefit from holistic coaching support, then I'd love to have a conversation with you - ​https://www.katiejanewellness.com/working-together.html