Hello my friend! How is your self-care journey coming along?
Thank you for the words of wisdom and experience you have shared in your comments! Please continue!
Something that I believe is crucial to creating a self-caring environment for yourself is learning to create declarations that will support your thinking.
Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash
Years ago, my Granny gave me a book titled, You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, and it was a massive wake-up call to me! I had no idea how negative my thoughts had become.
Self-cutting, critical, damaging thoughts that I would have been appalled to hear from anyone else! Can you relate? We have to wonder, why do we “take it” from ourselves?
Part of the issue, as I learned in my shock, was that I just didn’t hear it.
I didn’t consciously know how hard I was on myself. Then I started imagining the words I thought as actual physical blows, and it was tough to see that emotionally, I was beating myself bloody on any given day. So I went to work at rewiring my thinking.
I learned, what I call, the art of declaration and it has been such a gift to me! {And yes, if you have been here very long, you’ll know I yammer about it a lot!}
The last few days I have been noticing that currently, the most common self-talk I have now is a voice of encouragement, even saying things like,
“Way to go! You got that job finished!” or “I’m proud of you.” or “It’ll be ok. You’ve done hard things before and you’ll be able to do this one too.”
Do you hear a positive coach in your head? Do you give yourself credit for trying? Do you forgive yourself, even if someone else hasn’t? {Yes, that’s a hard one for me too.}
So here is a declaration I challenge you to hold close to your heart today:
“What I am becoming is more important than what I have been.”
I challenge you to say this aloud every hour today. Write it and hang it on your mirror, your car dashboard, your kitchen window, or wherever you will see it most. Set an alarm on your phone. Invite your children to repeat it with you!
It has all the right stuff to be a powerful declaration! 1 It is spoken in present tense. 2 It is positive. 3 And above all, it is true.
{Remember the idea that we need to close the gap between what we believe and what is actually true? I think that the lack of positives we believe and say about ourselves is evidence of the biggest gap most of us experience between our belief and God’s truth. Here are other declaration ideas, “I speak kindly to myself. I am God’s child. He loves me today and always. I don’t have to be perfect to feel His love for me.”}
“What I am becoming is more important than what I have been.”
Do you have regrets? Even little ones? This phrase will help you let go of those.
Do you have a vision for things you want to change in your life but get hung-up on wondering if you’ll ever be able to change? This sentence gives perspective and hope.
Do you need to free yourself up in some way? To “repent” or turn back to God or to someone you may have offended? Including yourself?
We must do what we need to do to move forward. Ask for the strength to let go of old hurts. Ask for clarity to know what the next step is for recovering our full power.
Step by step. Even tiny steps create meaningful movement. In fact I wonder if baby steps aren’t the most desirable and long lasting?
It has been my experience that we choose what influences us {as much as we possibly can}, the direction we want to go, the spiritual weight we desire and are willing to lose that will free us up, and then God provides the speed He knows we are able and ready to handle.
“What I am becoming is more important than what I have been.”
I pray that you will take very good care of yourself today.
Godspeed.
Much love,
