Are you ready to take a little self-care journey with me and the Lionesses who are currently engaged in the 7 Steps to Family Wellness seminar?

{If you want increase the likelihood of your success in this challenge, declare your intention to join us in the comments below! Say, “Count me in!”}

Why self-care? Why is it so crucially important? Here’s a little exercise that may address that question.

Imagine with me, the kind of person with whom you would like your children to spend the most time.

Is she wired? Is she cranky? Is she glaring? Is she insecure?

Is she lovely? Is she kind? Is she solid in the knowledge of who she is and what she values?

Is she humble? Is she gaining wisdom through her teachableness and humility?

The person you imagine, who is lovely and gaining wisdom through the things she is learning is you! Or your very best self!

Can you see yourself with an eye of grace?

Can you see that with self-care practices in place, you can spend your family time being kind, gentle, respectful and firm?

Can you imagine yourself clean, rested, nourished and calm?

Can you visualize yourself gaining a greater sense of where you end and where others begin, or in other words, what responsibilities are yours, and which problems belong to others?

This is the girl we want to uncover, more and more each day with the practice of self-care.

She is the happy and confident person you will continue to develop as your self-care leads to greater self-love, self-knowledge and self-acceptance.

So, let’s begin day one where all your power resides: your soul. You are not your mind. You are not your opinions. You are not your desires. You are not your appetites.

You are the spirit-light that was created by your Heavenly Parents, which is now housed in the body your earthly parents created, that through their love and by their sacrifice, you could experience this physical world! What a gift life is!

It makes sense then that we turn toward light because we are light. Like the flower growing next to my desk, we sense truth and light and we turn toward it for sustenance.

So, the first self-care idea I offer as we begin our 30-day challenge is to spend time every day feeding your soul.

What does that mean to you?

To me, it means connecting to Heaven. Turning my face upward. Giving thanks! Praying to feel God’s love for me. Praying to feel God’s love for everyone else.

It mean pouring out my cares, thoughts, feelings and adoration to Him. Listening for the soft answers that come. For direction of my thoughts. For clarity when my thinking is in error. For patience with myself and my progress.

I pray. I listen. To build and strengthen that connection over and over and over again.

You ask for light when you feel darkness around you.

Ask for power when you need to forgive.

Ask for the strength to be kind when you feel like being harsh.

Ask, “Who am I?” and listen to the Love that answers you back.

Be still.

Take time for stillness. {Even in very small snatches!}

Will this self-care practice be a help to you?

With this connection growing, we will then work on teaching ourselves how we want to think with the instrument of our minds. How we want to feel with the beautiful instruments of the matter that is our physical selves. We will better learn to validate and to be validated!

To help you with this connection, we have created a video for you!

Please take the challenge to watch or listen to it each day. The music was written for the words. The pictures were taken or chosen to compliment the spirit of the words and the music.

It all was created with very specific tones, colors, faces, rhythms and thoughts. We hope it will be a force for good in your life!

Do your best to listen to the phrases. Take them in, digest them and make them yours.

In your imagination, see yourself on the beach. See yourself looking at the sky. See yourself “wrapped in silken, emerald down,” and feel the love! {Have you ever wrapped-up in a down-filled comforter? That is down I’m talking about!}

If you have snatches of insights come to you while you listen, take ten seconds and write them down. Prepare to be changed. Loosen up your mind and let softness and quiet come into your heart.

{To remind yourself of the parameters of this Lioness challenge, refer to the post titled, “The 2019 Self-Care Challenge.”}

Special thanks to Stacy Casperson, photography; Heather Bosshardt, music and voice; Carlin Scott, Lindsey Ipson, Jenny Sullivan, Breanna Fowles, Kami Gardner, Staci Casperson, Marisol and anyone else who helped or participated in this production. My love and thanks to you talented, beautiful women!