"Love is all you need..." ~ The Beatles
"Might as well face it, you're addicted to love..." ~ Robert Palmer
Love songs are pouring through my mind right now...There are so many love songs that speak of joy, hurt, experiences, and more. I remember sitting around with my friends in junior high playing songs on repeat (Oh, the joy of CDs!) and talking about boys. I remember singing songs in the car in high school with my friends, imagining what my first great love was going to be like.
Love has been on my mind recently...not because I'm in love or because I'm not in love, for that matter. Honestly, I've been questioning how much I truly love myself, and whether I would equate that - or even compare that - to how much I love others. I've spoken pretty openly about how important it is to take care of yourself, and over the past couple months, I have been struggling to do just that. So in my non-stop pursuit of becoming healthier, I have run right into the wall of love. Continuing this metaphor, I have run up and down the wall, trying to find a way to go around it. I have looked to see if I could climb the wall, thus bypassing the topic as well. It seems as though what is behind the wall of love is protected, and I must figure out how to open the door. So I am trying to figure out if all this effort is worth it.
Have you been here? Have you come up to a roadblock and had to determine if it was worth your efforts to push through the pain, the learning, the experience to get beyond? What do you do if you're not sure what exactly there is on the other side???
So, all these questions are rolling through my brain as I try to figure out how to first, find the door. Then, when I do stumble upon a camouflaged door, I have to figure out how to open it, for I don't have a key...in fact, there is no keyhole. So how do I get in? How do I get through this? How do I get through this?
And that is the desperate question that has finally given me some hope. Because I have finally been honest in my search. I am not trying to ignore the wall. I am not trying to bypass this part of my life. I am truly looking for the answer.
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday, December 2, 2011
Finding a Better Mirror
It wasn't that long ago that I was in high school...
High school for me was a period of excellence - in academics, in athletics, in life. I accomplished so many things, but looking back, I didn't manage to do one of the biggest tasks set before me: I didn't see the value of who I was...I only saw the value of what I did. (Disclaimer: A lot of what I did reflected who I wanted to be or who I am now, but I did not necessarily pursue those actions for the value of learning about myself.) I think I was looking for recognition or satisfaction in making someone else happy, but I'm not sure. I definitely wasn't that self-aware back then.
I often wish that someone had told me back then what I know now. Not that I can confirm I would have paid attention to it, but how awesome would it be for my life to have radically changed at the age of 15 versus the age of 31...
So what do I know now? (Well, loads of random facts to start...)
The important topic/life lesson I want to share/discuss in this blog is that it's ok to take care of yourself. It's not selfish. It doesn't mean you don't care about other people - in fact, I would argue that you are better able to care about others if you are healthy yourself. Taking care of yourself can change how you view the world, how you approach the world, and how you impact the world.
So here comes the blog...A Better Mirror. Why do we need a better mirror? Perhaps better isn't the "right" word. Perhaps accurate is a better fit, or true. As we journey, you can fill in that blank, but regardless, there needs to be a change in how young women view themselves. The value lies in who we (you!) are, not in what we (you!) do. The mirror comes in when it is a true reflection of your healthy self - mind, body, and soul. All work together to make you an amazing being ready to make an impact.
It took me a long time to find the right mirror. Ironically, I was finally able to look in a mirror and not want to avoid what I saw. But now I can see myself for who I truly am, and I am learning to love the person looking back.
High school for me was a period of excellence - in academics, in athletics, in life. I accomplished so many things, but looking back, I didn't manage to do one of the biggest tasks set before me: I didn't see the value of who I was...I only saw the value of what I did. (Disclaimer: A lot of what I did reflected who I wanted to be or who I am now, but I did not necessarily pursue those actions for the value of learning about myself.) I think I was looking for recognition or satisfaction in making someone else happy, but I'm not sure. I definitely wasn't that self-aware back then.
I often wish that someone had told me back then what I know now. Not that I can confirm I would have paid attention to it, but how awesome would it be for my life to have radically changed at the age of 15 versus the age of 31...
So what do I know now? (Well, loads of random facts to start...)
The important topic/life lesson I want to share/discuss in this blog is that it's ok to take care of yourself. It's not selfish. It doesn't mean you don't care about other people - in fact, I would argue that you are better able to care about others if you are healthy yourself. Taking care of yourself can change how you view the world, how you approach the world, and how you impact the world.
So here comes the blog...A Better Mirror. Why do we need a better mirror? Perhaps better isn't the "right" word. Perhaps accurate is a better fit, or true. As we journey, you can fill in that blank, but regardless, there needs to be a change in how young women view themselves. The value lies in who we (you!) are, not in what we (you!) do. The mirror comes in when it is a true reflection of your healthy self - mind, body, and soul. All work together to make you an amazing being ready to make an impact.
It took me a long time to find the right mirror. Ironically, I was finally able to look in a mirror and not want to avoid what I saw. But now I can see myself for who I truly am, and I am learning to love the person looking back.
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