Healing Inside Ourselves

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

There is a lot of healing to be done. Some physical injuries take time. Some we can see and some we can’t. I broke my arm. There is a scar where I had surgery to put it back together. When the scar is covered there is very little showing I had a broken arm.

Self-love comes during those times when I am aware of how I have aged, my balance isn’t as good as it used to be and if I fall, I can break. So, I slow down, pick up my feet when walking, and practice my balance exercises regularly.

Then there is taking up some of the rugs that were in place at one time in my house. Caring about myself means I have to do that for myself.

A friend said, “You look so sad! I am not used to seeing you looking sad!” It showed on the outside but it was healing I had to do inside to put the smile back on the outside.

After attending a very sad funeral last Friday and going to the cemetery on Saturday there was some grieving going on. Not just grieving for me but grieving for others. My niece and her children lost her first love and her children’s father.

My children’s father died around the same age from the same condition — addiction. Our daughters had both just graduated from high school.

Going to the cemetery the next day was to put a headstone and footstone on my brother's grave. He died from Covid. He was only 48 years old. He left behind 4 daughters. Three of them came with us. His youngest daughter graduated from high school this year.

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — Self-love means _____________.

Does self-love mean happily ever after? Is there such a thing? I prefer what Oxford and Merriam-Webster say below.

Oxford Languages Dictionary defines self-love (noun) — regard for one’s own well-being and happiness (chiefly considered as a desirable rather than narcissistic characteristic).

Or how about Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition of self-love (noun) — Synonyms of self-love: love of self: such as

a: an appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue —

Self-love begins when we observe our actions and words with compassion as if we were our own best friend. — Sara M Bosworth

Just as you’d think, it’s love — particular, self-love — that makes the world go around. — Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Often we are reluctant to promote self-love mostly because we confuse it with selfishness. Since we are humans, we ought to have a healthy love for ourselves; it is from this fount that love flows out to others. — Mason Olds

b: proper regard for and attention to one’s own happiness or well-being

Nurturing your body seems simple, but for me it feels like an extreme act of self-love. — Danielle d’Entremont

Lisa Concepcion, a certified professional love life coach and founder of LoveQuest Coaching, says that journaling is an excellent way to practice self-love. — SheKnows

c: inflated love of or pride in oneself : narcissism, conceit

Okay, so that is what I am going for is Self-Love and considering myself, not at the expense of others, or not inflated love or pride. I prefer to be happy most of the time, who wouldn’t? I can’t do that every day and some days I can and I will continue to strive for more time to live happy.

In continuing to heal we are all on the road to happiness and self-love.

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — Right now, what my body needs most is __________________.

Continued healthy eating. I heard someone say the other day, “Yes, but you can stop drinking, you can’t stop eating.”

Another person said, “You can stop drinking certain drinks like alcohol, caffeine, and sugar beverages, you will keep drinking water though. In the same way, you can stop eating certain foods. You are right, you can’t stop eating and you can’t stop drinking some beverages.”

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — If the universe could answer any one question you had, what would you ask?

I would ask, Is world peace possible and will it happen? If so, is there anything I can do or say to help the process along? I believe one person or a small group of people can start something that can spread around the world.

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com