We can all learn a thing or two from our Westies.
It is considered a good idea to surround yourself with loving people. I think that’s why so many of us journey with our dog companions, as they continually ooze unconditional love. You are more likely to surround yourself with loving people when you connect into that aspect of yourself first – which always comes back to self-love. It is an important process of life, and when we come to understand how our inner emotional landscape projects outwards to create our world reality, we are in a better position to come to know ourselves.
When we say and feel that we love our dog, the meaning could encompass so many things. We respect, honour, and care for them. We notice and respond to their unique gifts and come to understand what they love to do and try to offer them opportunities to live a life of joy. We tell them how gorgeous they are and how much we love them. We learn to listen to our animal friends and intuitively respond to their needs. We also support them to become balanced and confident to help them on their journey here on Earth. We also feed them with nurturing foods that support their mind, body, and spirit – right? So, could we flip-flop all of this and ask what it means to walk into self-love?
“I think that’s why so many of us journey with our dog companions, as they continually ooze unconditional love”.
“Self-love calls out for you to look for your gifts, invest in your confidence, trust your inner wisdom, nurture your intuitive abilities, exercise compassion, and listen and respond to your needs.”
What exactly is self-love?
Self-love can be described as self-respect, courage, self-confidence, self-nurture, and a belief in intuitive nudges. Self-love allows us to feed our bodies with what it needs and not necessarily what we desire. As well we come to realise that guilt is not a truth and neither is shame, they are only belief systems – they are not you. We also come to realise that self-judgment is not self-love, and neither is comparing ourselves with anyone else – as we are all unique.
Self-love calls out for you to look for your gifts, invest in your confidence, trust your inner wisdom, nurture your intuitive abilities, exercise compassion, and listen and respond to your needs. Take time each day to understand that although life can be tricky, the aim is to remain as balanced as possible, like in the eye of the storm, trusting that all will pass. Don’t hold on too tightly, otherwise, you may break! The wisdom is to feel your way through knowing the journey helps to strengthen the spirit. Look to your dog and their abundant stream of never wavering, unconditional love, and keep using that as a nudge to remember to keep moving into self-love all of the time.
Try to focus on the gold within you and aspects of yourself you can easily celebrate. Try and think about what has made you smile, how you have managed to come through the darkest times in your life with victory of heart and spirit. Think about the times when you let go of the self and surrendered to the bigger picture of love and how things flowed more naturally for you. Focus on the joy in your life by activating the memories of laugher, joy, and love. Think about all you have achieved, from the small instances to massive life events. For example, the first time you sharpened a pencil or the first time you tied your shoelaces. Do you get the picture? The small and mighty milestones have led you to all that you are right now. The more you activate good memories of the past, even if you have to rewrite the past in a way that feels better, you can influence your present and therefore your future.
Dance like nobody is watching
As you journey along, make this work your focus to attract loving people to yourself and engage in activities that carry a high vibration. Eat and drink in ways that support your mind, body, and spirit. Laugh a lot, dance, and support each other in the name of love. You do not need to go to a club to dance. You can dance and laugh even when you are doing the dishes. How we do the smallest of things adds up to the whole of our life. Take time to relax and nurture yourself. Take time to breathe and let ‘be’. Meditate daily and make it a priority to stop rushing around. Keep your focus off negative mainstream media that does not have your best interests at heart. If you feel at times there is no one there for you right now, you only have to go out into nature. She will surround you with loving comfort all of the time as you prepare for your world to change as your inner emotional landscape heals. Whenever possible, offer people your time and love and trust the more you heal and love the more love you will receive. I would also like to say that to take time to be by yourself or to let go of what no longer serves you can be just as healing as surrounding yourself with others. It really depends on where you are on your journey at any particular time.
To work with Rachel individually, or for help with your dog in the areas of mind, body and spirit, visit her website: www.rachelbolton.life
