Self-Topics

So often when we are alone and it is not necessarily by choice, or we are in a relationship but lonely, it is easy to forget how great we are. Whether it is Valentine’s Day or anytime of the year, women do not celebrate themselves enough.

How to Celebrate You; Especially if You are Missing the Man in RoMANce

1. Have a spa day: facial, massage, manicure and pedicure or get your hair done – maybe try a new style. Taking care of yourself and having somebody touch you in a non-sexual way is good for your soul.

2. Set a carefree date with yourself; make some plans to do something you used to love to do when you were younger. It is easy to forget who we used to be and what we used to like to do, especially when our lives get busy or cluttered with jobs, relationships and responsibilities. What used to bring you joy? Go do something fun: visit an art gallery, go roller-skating, the sky is the limit!

3. Send yourself flowers from a secret admirer. Who better to admire you, than you? Nobody has to know. Or buy yourself flowers on the way home from work; you can pick them up at the grocery store.

4. Call yourself; leave a message on your voicemail - something nice like, “You’ve come a long way. You are awesome and I love you!”

5. Get out your good glasses, run a hot bubble bath and grab “Touchable Love.” There is nothing like a soak in the tub with a good book. Pour a glass of wine (or juice, pop or non-alcoholic champagne) and toast yourself for being the incredible woman that you are!

6. There is nothing wrong with dinner and a movie. Make reservations at your favorite restaurant. If people look at you because you are alone, so what? Hold your head high; you are on a date with somebody very special! Plus, a good cry in the theater watching a romantic comedy is good for the heart.

7. If you are an animal lover, get a rescue dog or cat. You will never be lonely again. Don’t forget to give your new best friend a special name like Freedom or Happy.

8. Do something sacred. Light candles and make vows to yourself and list your goals or write down your dreams. Maybe have a ritual of letting go of parts of your past that are holding you back. In “Touchable Love,” Christy and Paul send there pasts away in helium balloons.

9. Pick a love song for yourself, and then imagine singing this song to yourself. “Still the One” by Shania Twain is a great choice.

10. Buy yourself something special, something you have been putting off, a new rug or that perfect ring or necklace you have been wanting. You deserve it!

There are so many ways we can celebrate who we are. Take the time to show your appreciation for the wonderful person you are and will continue to be.

TOP 5 REASONS WE SHOULD WEAR THE TITLE ‘WOMAN’ PROUDLY

(These 5 reasons are so important please repeat each one twice)

1. We are in touch with our feelings and emotions and it is acceptable for us to express them. This is one of the reasons we live longer healthier lives. (We are working on our anger.) Let us rejoice in our emotions!

2. The more we listen to our bodies, the stronger our intuition becomes. We have an ability to know things without an explanation. We just have to slow down enough to listen.

3. We have huge compassionate hearts wanting to love. Because of our feelings, emotions and intuition, we have the ability to step out of ourselves and truly feel for another person.

4. If we look at the big picture, we have cycles (our Menstrual Cycles) like the moon (28-day cycle) and the tides. We are extremely connected to this wonderful universe we live in. Maybe somehow along the way we have forgotten how important we are to this big cycle of life.

5. Not only are our bodies beautiful in any shape or size, our bodies are complicated and perfect. Our bodies react to our feelings and emotions. Our bodies were given to us so we can achieve our dreams here on earth.

Not only do I love to inspire others through my writing, but also I enjoy inspiring women in other ways. Exercise has always been a second love of mine. So much so, that I used to basically, live in the gym, I used to compete in bodybuilding, and I have sold exercise equipment for a living. Today I have my Personal Training Certificate, and although I do not train anybody at the present, I love to train myself and motivate myself to workout because I know the benefits of exercise.

1. Physical benefits – internally

a. Exercise strengthens our bones, muscles and heart

b. Exercise lowers blood pressure, the bad cholesterol, and our chances of having a stroke

c. Exercise increases our good cholesterol, and our brain power

d. Exercise keeps our body moving and working the way it is supposed to work.

e. Exercise decreases our chances of getting certain types of cancer

2. Beauty benefits – externally

a. Exercise makes our body, skin, and every aspect of the way we carry ourselves look better

b. Exercise makes us feel younger, sexier and refreshed

c. Exercise makes our clothes fit better

d. Exercise makes us sleep better

e. Exercise raises our metabolism which helps burn fat even when we are not exercising, therefore exercise makes us lose weight

3. Emotional benefits –

a. Exercise gives us wonderful endorphins that make us feel better

b. Exercise gives us energy and confidence

c. Exercise makes us feel stronger, safer and more capable of doing everything we want to do in our lives.

d. Exercise stimulates our brain power and our sexuality

e. Exercise can keep us from mental health problems, depression and symptoms of depression.

4. Stress benefits –

a. Women Going Forward had Larry Michelson (Mystique of Love Unveiled) as a guest several months ago. He talked about how we feel when we are hurt emotionally, feel threatened in any way, or suffer from any type of stress. He talked about our fight or flight response and how we produce extra adrenaline during stressful times. So today the best thing for us when we are hurting, threatened or stressed is to get physical in some way. I have been practicing this, and it helps more than you could imagine.

b. Exercise clear out minds and helps us get better sleep

c. People who are active and exercise live longer healthier lives

5. Motivation –

a. Photos of self when you liked the way you looked or felt about yourself

b. Photos of others who inspire you

c. An unattractive photo of myself worked for me – I wanted to be honest with myself

d. Reward your self either everyday or once a week – I used to watch a show I taped every day after my workout. Great treat!

e. You might want to get a partner or a friend to check in with or workout together

f. Buy magazines for tips, pointers and inspiration

g. Do what you can, don’t beat yourself up – If you skip a day get right back on track

6. How to get started –

a. Make a plan and start – write it on your day timer so you workout before you go to bed at night

b. Simply go for a walk, but first set a goal for yourself either by using time or distance. “I will walk for a half an hour” or “I will walk one mile quickly.”

c. Exercising the same time everyday really helps!

d. Watch TV (Maybe Oprah) while exercising

7. How to stay motivated –

a. They say “21 days to a habit” Try to make exercise a habit

b. Some women listen to Women Going Forward every Wednesday while walking on the treadmill

c. Music! Get some fun, uplifting music to help you enjoy your time while exercising

d. Book on tape – doesn’t feel like you’re exercising

e. Include family

f. Or just show your family that you are valuable and deserve time to do good things for you.

8. Setting a boundary

a. Make this a ritual of doing something good for yourself

b. Balance that I talk about –

i. 1/3 self (make exercise a part of your self time- make it a priority because you will be a better parent, partner, worker, friend)

ii. 1/3 social (you can make your exercise time social if you want to – call up some friends or join an exercise club)

iii. 1/3 passion (if you fall in love with exercising, you can always make it a career)

9. Become stronger

a. Nobody wants to be weak and helpless

b. We all want to take care of ourselves and feel capable of doing so

c. Everything about us becomes stronger (including our minds)

10. Just do it!

a. Get off your butt and do it! Stop talking about how you want to be thinner or stronger or healthier. Stop talking and start walking!

b. The truth is if we really wanted it, we would have it! It is that simple!

Be healthy about exercise. Check with a doctor, get the right shoes, stretch, learn what is best for you. For example, if you have bad joints, swim. Do not over do it. And do not beat yourself up if you skip a day. If you only go 15 minutes, that is OK! Make it fun; enjoy what you are doing for you. Shoot for 20-60 minutes at a time and 3-5 days a week (Don’t we waste more time than that doing things that are not healthy for us?) Anything that gets your muscles working, lungs expanding, blood racing, heart beating… is exercise. (Dance, Clean your house quickly, Jog in place while watching TV, walk quickly around the mall)