Category: self love

inner child, self love

Singing To Your Inner Child

Haripriya Suraj

Does your Inner Child need some tender love and care?

Try singing this beautiful song to her or him!

Skidamarink a dink a dink

Skidamarink a doo

I love you

I love you in the morning

And in the afternoon

I love you in the evening

And underneath the moon

Oh, Skidamarink a dink a dink

Skidamarink a doo

I love you

My toddler loves this song and watches it frequently on YouTube (Mother Goose Club Songs For Children)

One day, I happened to watch it along with her and fell in love with it.

The lilting melody and warm visuals tugged at my heartstrings.

I now sing it to my toddler and also to my Inner Child!

Try placing a doll or soft toy in your arms (to represent your inner child) and sing this to her or him. And if you have young children, sing it to them too!

Notice how this song makes you feel in your heart space. Have fun!   

self love, when spirit meets science

Life Lessons From ‘Jab We Met’ : Self-Love

Haripriya Suraj

“Mein Apni Favourite Hoon.”

These are words from the Bollywood movie ‘Jab We Met’ released in 2007.

The year 2007 was pivotal in launching me on a new path. Apart from the healing modalities I explored, the movie ‘Jab We Met’ also played a role in healing my heart and my life.

Geet, a vibrant young woman, is all set on building the life of her dreams. She dares to reach for the stars and is absolutely in love with her life. On a train journey, she bumps into a young man Aditya. Aditya is on the exact opposite vibration as Geet. Having lived through several challenging situations, he is at a point where he has no zest for life.

Eventually, Geet’s vivaciousness and positivity rub off on him.

And at one point he says, “Tum Apne Aap Ko Bahut Pasand Karti Hon Na?” (You love yourself so very much, don’t you?”)

And Geet says, “Mein Apni Favourite Hoon!” ( My favourite person is me!”)

The concept of self-love was new to me back then. I had just begun reading about the healing benefits of loving oneself. But watching this movie made the concept a whole lot clearer!

When I learned to love myself, I found that-

  1. My strengths and positive qualities received a boost, paving the way for success in different aspects of life.
  2. I was able to view my negatives as areas of growth and not as something ‘wrong with me.’ (as many of us are conditioned to believe about ourselves). This shift is necessary for one to experience high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem. If your inner critic constantly tells you that you aren’t good enough or that something is wrong with you, achieving your highest potential can become more difficult than it needs to be.
  3. I expected only the best for myself and believed it was possible to achieve whatever I set my mind and heart on. I wasn’t ready to settle for anything less than the vibration I was on!
  4. When I eventually ran into the love of my life the same year, I was already in love with myself. I didn’t need his love to complete me. Suraj was also complete and centered within himself. So, we were free to share our love and completeness with each other – the beginnings of a journey towards unconditional love!

This gem of a movie offers many valuable lessons for life. More in future posts!

self love

The Gift Of ‘Seeing’ Yourself & Others

Haripriya Suraj

You are walking through a forest on another planet.

The trees are so huge you appear like a dwarf standing beside them.

The butterflies look bigger, brighter, and fly faster than on Earth.

The flowers emanate an intoxicating sweet scent, unlike anything you have smelt before.

Every animal that passes by smiles and greets you in native vocabulary. Never mind that you cannot talk back!

You reach the end of the forest and a pristine lake appears.

The water appears golden in colour and shimmers beautifully in the light of the setting sun.

This planet’s sun looks like a sphere made of glittering diamonds and radiates a pinkish golden light.

You dip your toes in the golden water and immediately feel a sense of peace infusing your body and mind.

An animal that looks like a bunny rabbit appears with a plate full of food that looks like fruit. She hands the plate to you and hops away.

You take a bite. The flavour and freshness of the fruit leave your taste buds tingling!

“What is this paradise of a planet I have landed on?” you say aloud to yourself, “I have never seen such beauty and uniqueness before!”

The bunny appears again, smiles, and sits beside you.

She says to you, “Do you remember a time when you were five years old? You were sitting by a lake on your planet Earth and you spoke to a rabbit passing by?”

You nod in surprise!

“Yes, I do remember,” you say, “But how do you know that?”

“That was me. I was on a tour of your planet back then, like you are on mine right now,” says the rabbit.

You stare open-mouthed!

“You sat with me for a few minutes, patted me on the head, and said you thought I was beautiful,” continued the rabbit, “And I truly felt seen by you at that moment.”

You are so stunned by the rabbit’s revelation, you wonder if it’s all a dream!

You pinch yourself and realise it’s real.

“You know what? says the rabbit and smiles, “I thought you were so beautiful and so was everything on your bluish-green planet! I had never seen anything like that before,”

It dawns on you that you are so accustomed to Earth that the miracles there don’t appear miraculous anymore! However, planet Earth seemed mesmersing to the rabbit, much like her planet appeared to you.

You are deeply moved by this conversation with the wise rabbit. You turn to face her and look into her eyes.

In this state of heightened awareness, you are able to see past her ‘cuteness’ as a bunny. You sense a deeper story hidden in her big bright brown eyes.

At this moment, an Angel appears before you both and says-

Each of you is unique, much like the majestic blue oceans on Earth or the expansive golden lakes on this planet.

But you get so used to the uniqueness – in yourself or in others – that you stop noticing it after a while.

When you see another person for who they are, your ego dissolves.

And I mean truly see someone, not just with your eyes, but with your heart and soul.

And when you see yourself in the same manner, your experience of self shifts to a new level.

And you say to the bunny, “I see you, dear one. I see ALL of you – your story, your joys, your struggles, your strengths, your limitations, your wisdom, and the unique gifts you bring to existence.”

And the bunny says, “I see you too, dear soul. I see ALL of you – your intelligence, your emotions, your creations, your setbacks, your victories, and all the blessings you bring to existence. I bow to the unique being that you are.”

The two of you continue to see and feel into each other’s beings. And this moment is etched eternally into your consciousness.

A week later, you find yourself back on Earth, seated in your backyard, when a dragonfly appears. You smile and see it with new eyes. You see it fully and completely – a unique creation of the Universe.

Your child comes running to sit beside you. You look into her eyes and see her in a whole new light. You see her innocence, playfulness, creativity, mischief, tantrums, love, and everything that makes her who she is.

Your spouse comes home after work. You see him through your heart. You see someone who works hard to provide, loves with his soul, and does a zillion things to see you happy. You also see his troubles, and his shortcomings. But they don’t bother you anymore because your vision now operates on a totally different frequency.

Besides, who amongst us is perfect?

The beauty of life is in the mixture of perfection and imperfection blended together.

And finally, you look in the mirror and see the person you most need to see – yourself!

See the magic in you! See the magic in others!

See the magic all around you!

Seeing someone for who they are is one of the best gifts we can give to another.

And seeing yourself for who you truly are – try it to know what happens!

This is an image of a little boy in an article on soul based parenting by Haripriya Suraj, Reiki Master
inner child, self love, unconditional love

Parenting From The Soul : Helping Children Overcome Shame

Haripriya Suraj

As sounds of laughter and chatter permeated the living room, he sat on a sofa with his head bent backward, arms folded and resting on his eyes.

On the surface, it appeared that he was just relaxing.

However, I looked deeper and knew that something was terribly wrong.

I gently raised his hands and saw that his eyes were filled with tears.

I softly said, “ Sweetheart, can we talk?”

He said, “No. I don’t want to. I’m OK.”

I persisted, “No, you’re not. And we need to talk.”

He sounded irritated and said, “No. I’m fine. Leave me alone. Alright?”

The evening went on like everything was great.

When we got back home and I could look into his eyes, I said, “ You’re feeling sad, aren’t you?”

He said, “No. I’m just sleepy.”

I went on in a neutral tone, “ You’re feeling sad because someone said you’re bad and your sister is good.”

And with that, he burst into tears and began to sob.

This was my son.

At a social gathering, someone we know commented casually that my ten-year-old son is ‘bad’ while my daughter, a one-and-a-half-year-old, is ‘good.’

I thought that was a ridiculous comparison! How can we compare a toddler with a pre-adolescent?

Secondly, how would a child feel to be told he is ‘bad’ in front of several people?

Children can be naughty. But to be labelled ‘bad’ for being a child, who has not yet developed a complete personality, didn’t feel OK to me. I saw potential inner child wounds developing right before my eyes and it gave me the shivers.

My heart went out to my son. I held him tight as he cried and let out all the shame he must have felt and suppressed while pretending nothing was wrong.

As giant teardrops rolled down his soft cheeks, he sobbed, “No one likes me.”

I said, “That’s not true. And you are not bad. Yes, we all do ‘inappropriate’ stuff at times and you have too. But doesn’t mean YOU are ‘bad,’ alright?”

I went on, “People may tell you worse things as you grow up. But remember this – just because someone says something mean or inappropriate, it doesn’t make it true.“

This was the best I could do at that moment.

My little daughter realised her brother was upset and began to stroke his hands, hoping it would comfort him!

He reached out and held her hand too.

I was so grateful my son didn’t resent his sister despite being compared unfairly with her. He sure seemed more mature than many adults in this regard!

I was also grateful he felt safe enough to feel his emotions in the presence of me and his father. We don’t believe in telling him “boys don’t cry.” We know it’s perfectly possible for boys to feel their emotions and still grow up to be strong and healthy Divine Masculines.

My husband Suraj and I had a discussion on this matter later that evening. We were wondering if we should confront the person who passed this comment and tell her that she ought not to say such things to our son again.

After a prolonged discussion, Suraj was of the opinion that it may be best to let it pass. I agreed.

We knew confrontation would not change anything. This person is known for being insensitive and seems to be set in her ways.

Besides, the outside world is not always kind and sensitive.

People can be petty, rude, unfair and mean. 

And while this isn’t ideal, we felt it’s best our son is exposed to some of the harsher realities of life.

As parents, we are always there for him to fall back on.

Since we are the most important adults in his life at the moment, we hoped us telling him that he is an amazing little person should suffice.

We hoped us telling him that he doesn’t have to internalize the unfair and unkind words of people would help him keep his self-esteem intact.

I know I had to try hard to discard the negative labels I received as a child so I could feel good about myself as an adult. And Suraj instinctively knew how to keep his self-esteem high despite facing some challenging situations himself.

And we hope we can train our son enough to hold himself strong, so he doesn’t find himself in the same situation as an adult.

We hope to be parents who can hold an unconditional space for their child.

On the same note, until he is an adult, we see ourselves as the primary authority figures in his life. We lay down rules and regulations for his safety and social development. And there are consequences to be dealt with when rules are broken.

We are certainly not perfect parents. And we lose it at times too.

Like generations prior, we do the best with what we know at the moment.

But with all our imperfections, we shall strive to help both our children keep two very precious assets alive within them – self-esteem and self-love.

This image shows a woman holding a teddy bear in an article on healing deeper wounds of love, approval and appreciation by Haripriya Suraj, Reiki Master
inner child, self love

When Love, Approval & Appreciation Don’t Come Your Way

Haripriya Suraj

“It’s eating me up from the inside,” she screeched, with tears streaming down her face.

She was breathing rapidly, her face looked pale and she seemed like a helpless child encountering powerful emotions that she didn’t know how to deal with.

“I can’t tolerate this anymore,” she went on, wiping her tears, “I’m done.”

Riya (name changed), a 40 year old woman I have been working with for a while came to see me for a matter that was troubling her greatly.

As a child, this woman and her sister saw her parents grappling with multiple interpersonal issues. There was persistent unrest in the household. As a result, there wasn’t much time or opportunity for her parents to show their love or appreciation to their children. She and her sister spent most of their childhood craving attention from their parents.

As a teenager and young adult, this woman developed an independent personality and chose a unique life path, much against the wishes of her parents. As a consequence, all possibility of appreciation or approval coming from the most important authority figures in her life was eliminated.

This woman is a successful entrepreneur today. She is blessed with a wonderful husband and two sons, who see her as their world. However, the void from childhood continues to bother her. It shows up as a silent monster time and again, and begins to chew away at her self-esteem.

As a consequence, this woman finds that she unconsciously seeks appreciation and approval from people old enough to be her parents, more so, if they are in positions of power and authority.

For several months now, she had been subconsciously seeking love, approval and appreciation from a senior couple (in positions of power) that she knows and looks up to.

She wasn’t sure if they withheld their appreciation intentionally or if they were just too busy to say a kind word to her.

Either way, it began to bother her tremendously. And that’s when she showed up for a healing session and burst out, “It’s eating me up from the inside.”

Considering she was feeling like a wreck, I helped her calm down first.

I personally find the energy healing tool Emotional Freedom Technique(EFT) is a great way to defuse strong emotions while accepting our emotions and self completely. We did a few rounds of EFT. The intensity of her emotions dropped significantly.  She felt a peaceful acceptance of herself despite all that was going on.

Acknowledging our emotions is half the work done. Once we come into acceptance of self, we automatically gain clarity on how we could support ourselves further.

She sipped some water and told me, “I can’t possibly rewrite my childhood or replace my parents. This void is something I will have to live with all my life. Isn’t it so Haripriya?”

I said, “ Riya, it is true some things cannot be changed. And we ALL have stuff like that to deal with. However, what can be changed is how you respond to this void and also what you choose to fill it with now.”

She was ready to help herself overcome this challenge. So, we went on to do a combination of healing processes to explore how the void could be filled and transformed into a source of power and strength.

  1. We began by doing some inner child work with a teddy bear that was symbolic of Riya’s inner child. The adult Riya hugged her inner child and told her– “ I see you. I cherish you. I love you. I am proud of you.” She did this exercise until her inner child felt truly seen by the adult and she was satisfied. I recommended she do this exercise for a fortnight and also have the teddy beside her while she slept. This is to aid deeper integration of self love into her being.
  2. We then spent some time meditating in the sun. I guided her to pull some of the sunshine up through her entire body and specifically into her power centre – the Solar Plexus. After feeling like she was being eaten up from the inside, the warmth of the sun felt nurturing to her body and soul. Don’t we all deserve some warmth and love for no reason except for the fact that are who we are? Being out in nature, amidst the trees, flowers, earth and sun can feel deeply healing.
  3. We concluded with a discussion on self-love. Seeing and loving ourselves with all our strengths, drawbacks, wounds and voids is empowering. And if we can love ourselves successfully, we don’t really need anyone to love or appreciate us. Ironically, that’s when the right people also begin to see and love us for who we are! And what about those who don’t? Well, it doesn’t bother us anymore!  And it certainly doesn’t ‘eat away’ at us.

Riya went home feeling lighter and happier. This doesn’t mean she was completely healed and this issue will never bother her again. We are all human and have highs and lows. Deep-rooted issues can come up time and again. But when we are aware and well equipped to handle our ‘stuff,’ there is nothing to be afraid of, for we know we can sail through any challenge that presents itself.

image of chocolate in a post on decoding chocolate cravings by Haripriya Suraj in When Spirit Meets Science
energy medicine, self love, when spirit meets science

Decoding Chocolate Cravings

Haripriya Suraj

There is something very comforting about the sensation of chocolate melting in your mouth!

While there may be many physiological and/or psychological reasons for chocolate cravings, I personally find that I crave chocolate when I am under stress or am having to juggle multiple responsibilities at once.

Being a mom to an active ten-year-old plus a super active toddler keeps me on my feet each day!

The current spike in Covid cases has made schooling go virtual again, which means more work than usual for parents. Apart from constantly ensuring that my son is focused during class time, there’s more homework to oversee, more sibling squabbles to handle through the day, and bigger messes to clean up around the house.

On the one hand, it does feel amazing to have the beautiful energy of children light up your home. You get to enjoy kisses, hugs, joy, laughter, innocence, and playfulness throughout the day. On the other hand, it can also be exhausting in some ways and you end up feeling like you need a break from all the noisy activity and clutter. If you are a parent, you most certainly understand what I mean!

On most days, I do have my family oversee the kids for a while so I can take some time off. But there are days when I am the sole caregiver throughout the day.

Recently, I had one such day. I was on parenting duty from morning until night. When my husband finally arrived and I was able to enjoy some solitude, I began to crave chocolate!

I stood near the refrigerator pondering if I was reaching out to chocolate for the right reasons.

I asked myself if I should give in to my craving or manage it with grit and determination and allow it to pass naturally.

And you know what?

I chose to give in to the craving!

My reasons for doing so –

From the perspective of health, I would have been concerned if I had felt the need to eat an entire bar of chocolate. Since Reiki practice helps me stay very tuned in to my body, I am very conscious of what I put into my body, and also how much. As far as chocolate is concerned, all I ever eat is one piece or a maximum of two (if the pieces are tiny). And I have no medical conditions that make chocolate a no-no. As I understand, a small amount of chocolate is not harmful to my body in any way.

From the psychological and energetic perspectives, I had had a difficult day, laced with some bitter moments.

So was I craving some sweetness on the subconscious level? Possibly.

Would this amount to comfort eating? Most likely.

While I am certainly not for comfort eating as a routine, I am OK with it as an occasional indulgence. I am human. I believe it is OK to indulge ourselves in small ways at times. If a piece of chocolate can help me re-connect to the sweetness of life on difficult days, then so be it! It’s not like every day is difficult.

And guess what?

I did feel lighter and energised after allowing myself this small sugary indulgence.

After spending the evening being ‘Snappy Mom,’ to my children ‘I was back to being ‘Happy Mom!’

I hope this article inspires you to decode your chocolate cravings!

This is an image showing unconditional love in a blog post on love by Haripriya Suraj in the blog When Spirit Meets Science
self love

Love Is All That Matters

Haripriya Suraj

Have you ever noticed that adversity softens the heart spontaneously?

Be it a family member diagnosed with a serious illness, a friend that lost a loved one, a sick puppy on the roadside or a neighbour whose marriage broke down, crises make us put differences aside and reach out to others in love and compassion. Often, we also feel the pain and suffering of fellow human beings, almost as if they were our own.

I wonder what blocks the flow of love during the more routine phases of life.

Is it the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves or others?

Is it the reluctance to accept that we are human and imperfect?

Is it the inability to acknowledge our difficult emotions and vulnerabilities?

Is it perceived differences and attitudes of ‘them vs us?’

Or a combination of several factors?

No matter what, as long as we still have some capacity to feel love and compassion, everything is not lost.

Healing the heart is seen as a significant milestone on the spiritual path.

Unconditional love is an experience many yearn for.

In truth, unconditional love is the only kind of love that exists.

Unconditional is the nature of love itself.

However, as humans, we have created the concept of ‘conditional love.’ This can feel safer and comfortable to many of us. Experiencing unconditional love requires us to accept people as they are, flaws and differences being part of the package. This isn’t always easy considering the kind of conditioning and baggage many of us carry.

Sharing unconditional love with self may be a good starting point. Being unconditional with ourselves can make it easier to offer the same to others.

This can be taken further by extending unconditional love to the people closest to us.

For instance, can you love your spouse or romantic partner unconditionally, despite the differences between the two of you? Can you accept her or him with all their flaws and quirks?

What about your children, if you have any?

Please note that while the experience of unconditional love is a wonderful milestone to work towards, it does not imply that one has to put up with unreasonable or abusive behaviour. If you have to be firm and draw boundaries in a relationship, it must be done without hesitation. In cases of abuse, external help may need to be sought. Even if you love an abusive person unconditionally, if they do not mend their behaviour, they may have to be let go of. All of this is the logical aspect of life and is the sane thing to do.

But wherever applicable, unconditional love is a state that all of us deserve to experience in our lifetime.

In the presence of unconditional love, differences pale into insignificance, rigid boundaries dissolve, hearts unite, minds come into peace and life flows with ease.

Does anything else matter if love can be primary?

Love is all that matters!

This is an image of Haripriya Suraj in an article on Inner Child Healing in the blog When Spirit Meets Science
inner child, personal, reiki, self love, when spirit meets science

Bad Days: A Doorway To Healing

Haripriya Suraj

Have you ever had one of those days when a slight disruption in the morning sets off an explosive chain of negative happenings unfolding through the day?

Routines are shaken up unexpectedly, people you depend on don’t turn up when required most, gadgets malfunction mysteriously and you stub your toe to make things worse!

And we may then say we are having a ‘bad day.’

These bad days, while truly annoying on the surface, often offer hidden opportunities for growth and healing.

I believe these bad days are partly the result of the Law of Attraction at work.

In New Thought Circles, we believe we attract people, circumstances and situations we deeply resonate with, consciously or subconsciously.

In other words, our outer world is often a reflection of our inner world.

So, on days when it seems like everything’s going wrong, it may help to tune in to our inner world and check on what’s brewing there.

I recently had one of these days. I was frustrated and angry from the break of dawn.

I knew my reaction was disproportionate to what was actually unfolding in my reality.

When time did not heal my negative feelings and I continued to feel that way well into the afternoon, I realised I had to take matters into my own hands and work on healing myself.

I lit a few candles and meditated for a while. I then picked up my journal and began to write down everything that was bothering me.

I wrote and wrote until I reached a point where I couldn’t write further.

The final point in my writing revealed I was being anxious about my child for specific reasons.

When I delved even deeper, I discovered my anxiety was nothing to do with my child per se but more to do with my ‘inner child.’ I had been projecting my subconscious fears onto my child and this was causing me to feel frustrated and angry that day.

This is the point when we say we have touched the ‘root cause of an issue.’

As tears of joy and relief streamed down my face, I took the opportunity to connect to my own inner child, the little girl of nine or ten I was years ago, and comforted her.

I hugged her (represented by a soft toy) and told her she will be alright, and that she deserves the best that life has to offer.

I then tore into pieces the paper on which I had vented my feelings. This is symbolic of release and letting go of something you don’t need anymore.

I felt light as a feather after doing this Inner Child Work.

I felt wonderful that I got to be my own therapist that day and that I made the choice to set right that which was going wrong. This was the gift my ‘bad day’ offered to me.

It was a joy to connect baggage-free with my own children again!

This is an image of relxation in the post on Reiki& Going with the Flow by Haripriya Suraj
energy medicine, reiki, self love, Spirit

Going With The Flow Of Life & Reiki

Haripriya Suraj

After a week spent doing much creative work, I suddenly felt saturated to the brim.

And stuck…

I could not pick up my pen to journal nor my laptop to blog.

A part of me was distressed wondering what was happening.

When I tuned in to my inner voice, it whispered I had to let it all go for a day and simply be.

The body followed suit and got me feeling all achy and sore.

I knew I had to take a day off and give both my physical as well as creative muscles time to recharge.

My personal Reiki time felt extra special for I had no agenda on my mind.

As Reiki infused my body, mind and soul with its gentle warmth, I felt deeply rested.

There was nothing to plan for the day ahead.

As I soaked in my Reiki experience, I contemplated the meaning of going with the flow.

I felt blessed that Reiki practice forces us to slow down when we start to race! I’m glad I chose to honour the needs of my body and mind when they were begging for rest.

I could not take an entire day off because I have ‘mommy duties’ to attend to.

However, I did try to make the best of my ‘REST!’ And that was good enough.

No matter how busy our modern lives may be, don’t we all deserve these little breaks?

This is an image in the article on inner child wounds , self love and self esteem in the blog when spirit meets science by Haripriya Suraj
inner child, reiki, self love, Spirit

Self Esteem & Self Love : Two Keys To Unlock Magic

Haripriya Suraj

As I sat down to pen this post, my head hurt and my heart felt heavy.

As children, many of us sought the attention and approval of people in authority, teachers and parents being primary. I found myself in a similar situation recently; like a little school girl not feeling good enough, because an authority figure refused to give me the validation I was unconsciously seeking!

How we viewed ourselves as children depended largely on how our elders viewed us. We felt good when they showed us their love and gave us their approval. We felt miserable when they withdrew their love and approval on account of something we did or didn’t do. If we had siblings, we may also have experienced bouts of jealousy when our sibling seemed to receive more attention or praise than us.

All of this is understandable because children are largely dependent on adults to meet their needs.

However, if we experience such emotions even as adults, they are like ‘wounds’ and need to be healed.

Such wounds can be healed completely or at least managed well when they show up. We do have the power to help ourselves.

Taking my own example, thanks to the intense inner work I have done and to my spiritual practices, I am able to manage my childhood wounds when they show up unexpectedly. I am aware enough to know when I am being sucked into a negative spiral. After some time spent moping, I make it a point to pull myself out of it with the support of tools such as Reiki, Meditation and Emotional Freedom Technique ( a healing modality that involves tapping on different points and areas of the body while making specific statements).

Self-esteem and self-love are two common areas that need attention in many of us.

While self-esteem points at how good we feel about ourselves, self-love is about our ability to love ourselves, exactly as we are – good and bad, amazing and flawed…

The easiest way to feel good about yourself is to go back in time and connect with the infant or young child you once were. You were born a blank slate. Your mind was empty and your heart pure. You were perfectly comfortable being who you were.

However, if you were repeatedly told you were a ‘bad boy’ or ‘bad girl’ or ‘hopeless kid,’ there is a possibility you may have internalised those labels. As an adult, you may not feel good about yourself unless certain people tell you how wonderful you are.

It is important to catch yourself when you find yourself seeking excessive approval or validation from others. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that external validation is not a measure of your worth. You are worthy simply by virtue of being a human being. Your talents and achievements build up your personality. They add value to your life and to the lives of others. But they are in no way a measure of your innate worth.

Bring your attention to your positive attributes. Think of at least three strengths you possess simply because of who you are. Give yourself the validation you seek. This will shift the energy and help you feel good about yourself instantaneously.

Learning to love yourself is another important milestone. The easiest way to love yourself is to accept that you are human, which means, you have feelings and emotions, good moods and bad, good days and bad. No one on this planet is perfect and neither are you. This does not mean you must make excuses when you err or make the same mistakes over and over again. It simply means you love yourself through all your ups and downs, highs and lows, good and bad times, empowered and weak moments.

I have personally found Emotional Freedom Technique to be very helpful when you need to address and release intense emotions and love yourself through it all. Explore this if you feel called to.

The reins to self-esteem and self-love must only be in your hands. Never hand them over to others.

Love can be shared more generously with others when you love yourself first.

You can help others feel good about themselves when you first feel good about yourself.

Loving yourself unlocks the magic of life!

It elevates your vibration and makes you a magnet to draw more goodness into your life.

Vibe high!