Caring For Self In Whatever Circumstance

Self-love is the road toward healing. These prompts are an invitation to step inside yourself. Rupi Kaur

Caring for yourself can mean standing on your own in an unsafe experience. It can mean hanging on to peace no matter what is going on around us. It is doable! And caring for me is staying in recovery. Practicing the principles in all of my life walks.

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — One time I stood up for myself was ____________. It made me feel _______________.

When I was about 14 years old, I was hitchhiking and a man picked me up that was going to the exact town I was going to. I had been fighting with my mother and was on my way to her friend’s house who had no children and I knew she would take me in.

During the drive, the guy was coming on strong. I would say things like, “I just need a ride and nothing else.” It didn’t matter what I said, he continued. When his sweet talk wasn’t working he switched to calling me names.

He made it about my being a Native American woman or “You are just a dirty squaw.”

When we were out of town, he pulled over in a desolate area. He said before pulling over that he wanted to know what I would do if someone took what they wanted. I told him I had a switchblade and wasn’t afraid to use it. He asked to see it. I told him that I only pulled it out when I needed it.

I brought out the knife from my pocket and showed him the knife. It was not a switchblade but he didn’t know that. I then said that I only wanted a ride to the same town he was going to. I told him I was already upset from my fight with my older brother.

My brother was younger and it was my mother but I thought that sounded better. I told him that he had no reason to stop where we stopped and that he needed to drop me off in the upcoming town and I would be none of his business.

Hitchhiking can be very dangerous and thankfully it is not used very often anymore. I know I am a scrapper as this is one story and there are many other experiences I have had in my life related to being a woman and a Native American woman.

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — I am most at peace when ____________.

My idea of being at peace is living in today. I'm not stuck in yesterday or tomorrow. I want nothing to mess with my peace, my serenity. One of the things that are important in staying this way is acceptance. Life is life and it doesn’t and won’t always go my way.

I will say, “How important is this? Is it worth my peace and serenity?” Most of the time it is not. No way! I love living free to be me at peace.

I will write a gratitude list daily about what I am truly grateful for. My husband, our children, our grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, their families, and partners. My siblings, their families, and their partners. Then I will go to friends that come up when writing or speaking my list.

The other time I will say or think of a gratitude list is when I am driving I will say, “Miigwech Giizheymanido/Thankyou Creator for keeping the critters in the ditch, the birds in the air, and the bugs where they belong.

Then I stop the worry about hitting a deer or bird and keep my windshield clear where I need to see while driving. Stay in my peace!

The other thing that is important for peace is loving everyone. It can be done. We don’t have to like everyone, but I have found that by loving everyone we can like more people.

When I learned that we are all made up of a lot of water, then praying for the water means we are praying for even those we don’t like! That has been helpful with politics this year. I get to live in peace. And I don’t have to like him.

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — Are you currently feeling lost or found?

I was found when I entered recovery on September 24, 1978. I was flailing around, desperate and lost. I was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, I had come close to suicide, and I had lived with depression since a pre-teen. No longer!

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com