I am loving myself from the inside out.

I love to look at an abalone shell I love the rough exterior, and the silky smooth inner shell. It reminds me to look within to find all the answers I need in life. When life events hit the exterior, it can find a rough edge to grip and hold on. When I take that lesson within it is easy to release it as I recognize that it is not a part of who I am. When we allow our emotions to sit on our sleeve, rather than taking them inside and asking, is this my truth? Loving ourselves is a full-time job, but well worth the investment

Day 84: Shells, Today find another five characteristics or qualities that you like about yourself without repeating any of the ones from yesterday.

What are five qualities that I hold within?

1) Slow to judgement, when you have lived a full life like I have it is best not to think in terms of judgement. It is my belief that we need each experience in our lives to prepare us for the next level. When I hear today it is my intention to love myself and others where they are.

2) I am a safe space. What you share with me stays with me. So many times folks will ask my beloved you know where Rev Allen and I talked about the other day. To which my beloved responds no. I don't he doesn't share that information with me. Letting go of the need to gossip has been one of the greatest life lessons on my journey.

3) I see things as good always. I released the need to see good/bad, right/wrong, in my journey with cancer. It is so easy to put the focus outside rather than to look inside. What I am looking for will not be found on the outside. The answers I seek are all found within.

4) I am joyous. I love that I am a space for joy to express itself. I get calls from clients all the time asking me to help them find the joy in a situation. I love that. I love to sit with others and get a new perspective on life and hold the safe space for them to do the same. That is one of the many reasons it is importing to do the hand test often. Look at the five folks, you spend the most time with. Are they living lives you want to live, and are they a safe space for you?

5) I am a great hugger. I give great hugs. For many years, in my life I allowed what someone else said to me impact the way I love others. Hear me when I say that I allowed that. I built a belief around someone else's opinion of me. In doing my work over the last decade, I uncovered this hidden belief and released it. Today I open my arm and ask other, shall we embrace? If the answer is no, I close my arms around myself and hug myself. If the answer is yes, I give one of the best hugs ever.

I love this exercise as it causes me to go within and look at the qualities that I hold within. It also causes me to look for any hidden beliefs that might be hiding out cause mayhem.

I love you,

Rev Allen