February’s Theme: Embracing Self-Compassion
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.“– Lucille Ball
“To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now.” – Alan Cohen
With February coming to a close, I have chosen to focus on matters of love, specifically self-love. It is no secret that we cannot share with others what we do not have within ourselves. When we engage in negative self-talk and self-criticism we are undermining our own well-being, existence, and maybe even survival.
To gain insights I decided to look for examples of self-criticism in nature, but I couldn’t find any. Nature is full of survival adaptations and behaviors to protect the particular animal or plant itself, or to protect their offspring and generations to come. Humans, as part of nature, are not naturally born with self-critical thoughts and attitudes, rather these are learned. The great thing about this is it can be more self-supportive….yes we can unlearn these critical thoughts! Notice when you’re are harshly critical and start undermining yourself. Then consistently replace those thoughts with self-love and understanding.
Embracing self-compassion is an ongoing practice in my own life and a deeply rooted principle my approach as a nature-connected coach. I am certain that each of us shows up in this world in our own unique way based on the attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors that we each choose. I invite you to choose self-compassion and provide yourself the grounding that you need in order to be the brilliant person you are here to be!
Do you choose to embrace self-compassion? To dig a little deeper into the benefits and nature of self-love, see this short video on self-compassion.
I am grateful for you, your personal growth, and your desires to connect with nature!
Upcoming Nature-connected Events include experiential workshops, meetups, online courses, and transformational retreats. Individualized Nature-connected Coaching sessions can provide the guidance and support for the changes you wish to make, tailored to your needs in either short-term (1-5 sessions) or longer-term programs (6 months). If this interests you, try out a free 30-minute Nature-connected coaching session by signing up or contacting me directly.
Transformational life coaching can bridge the gap between where you are NOW, and where you WANT to be!
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If interested or have questions or feedback, email me at awarenesswithnature@gmail.com.
Be well, wise, and connected to Nature!
Mindy Schlimgen
TESTIMONIALS
“Excellent job handling my self-induced stress-related issues. I feel more relaxed and forgiving towards myself. Nurturing yet firm on guiding you to more connectedness. Highly recommend.” – Muriel Haverland
“As a creativity coach, I did not know what to expect in my coaching sessions with Mindy. Her ability to help me focus on what was the important part of my challenge was seamless, and her love of nature is absolutely contagious! … I highly recommend Mindy’s unique coaching services to anyone hoping to find clarity and direction in their lives.” – Kat Kirby
