“Instead of dedicating your life to a concept of what you should be like, ACTUALIZE YOURSELF. The process of maturing does not mean to become a concept of conceptualization. It is to come to the realization of what lies in our innermost selves.” Bruce Lee
The truth is you are more powerful than you know. Early in life, we seem to know this, but as we move on into adulthood we sometimes lose sight of our power and spend much of the rest of our lives learning to tap back into this power, catching only a glimpse every now and again. The power itself does not come and go, but our thoughts about it do.
When we talk about accomplishing our personal goals through self-care we are indirectly talking about tapping into our higher selves. When we say that being self-centered helps us to foster more meaningful relationships it is precisely because we bring the healthiest version of ourselves to the table, thereby allowing us to be fully present, more compassionate, accepting, and loving.
Through my own self-care journey, I have slowly peeled away the facade of who I thought I should be to become who I AM. I have learned (and still am) to be more loving to myself. You can’t give from an empty cup.
So, how do you tap into your power? It all starts with fulfilling your most basic needs. But often through our coaching, we discover that most people are so caught up in the hamster wheel of their busy lives that they don’t even allow themselves to take care of their most basic needs. They don’t realize the impact of this precious self-care.
You may have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a theory published in 1943 by psychologist Abraham Maslow. His theory suggests that a person’s most basic needs must be met before they can reach self-actualization or their highest potential. I ask you, what are your most basic needs? Food, water, air (breath/meditation), sleep. THE FOUR SEEDS OF SELF-CARE. But what is it we do every damn day? We cut our sleep short, we run from place to place scarcely stopping to take a breath between activities, we don’t drink enough water, and we don’t take the time to prepare nourishing food! And don’t get me started on exercise!
Our approach to coaching includes a healthy dose of self-compassion, connection to a community to encourage each other, and tips that are backed by science. There is overwhelming evidence to prove that when we practice The Four Seeds of Self-Care we are promoting optimal brain health!
If you find this difficult to do, you are not alone. We know because we know. Not because we know better.
I was once afraid of people saying “Who does she think she is?” Now I have the courage to stand and say, “This is who I am.”- Oprah Winfrey
This is precisely why we created our 30-Day Self-Care Challenges- to create a community (POWER) that cultivates these habits! Our newest self-care challenge is called Perfectly Imperfect. Because let’s face it, none of us is perfect! Yet somehow that is the thing that we strive for so much that if it’s not perfect we’d rather not do it all! That ego trip is getting called out now! Stop letting perfectionism hold power over you. Progress is the goal, not perfection! When we consistently eat well, sleep well, meditate/breathe and exercise we are meeting our most basic needs for cultivating good health! If we go back to the idea of self-actualization (reaching your highest potential) this happens when the idea of who you would like to be is in harmony with your behavior.
I invite you to follow along through the month of May as we plant new seeds during our challenge. Each day we will affirm our power to make a positive change for the better! I invite you to join us on May 4th for our ConnectEd Workshop: Mothering the Mother. When we explore our roots and beliefs we are able to bring compassion to our relationships. I invite you to sign up for our ReConnect Retreat on June 18th. Spending a day focused on healthy habits and community is food for the soul! I invite you to join our next year-long adventure, Self-Centered Women, which begins on July 25th. We have received so much positive feedback about the impact of dedicating an entire year to creating a vision of your ideal self, cultivating and supporting each other in community! And most of all, I invite you to tap into your highest self and to #beselfcentered!
With Love and Gratitude,
Kinda and Rachel
