By Jennifer Elizabeth Masters
Being happy with you, the way you are is probably the biggest gift that you can give yourself. Teaching people how to love themselves is the cornerstone of my work. Why do I do it? Because I used to hate myself. I was filled with feelings of guilt, shame and unworthiness. I know how debilitating those feelings can be. They can take over our thoughts, create illness in our bodies and destroy our relationships. In essence love of the self is the biggest gift you can give yourself and your family. When you love and accept yourself the way you are, you become so much more of a benefit to everyone you come into contact with as well.
You can look good without having to spend a fortune. No matter how much money I make, I am thrifty without being squeaky. I used to spend thousands in one shopping spree. Since I healed my shopping addiction, I avoid malls and shop in small boutiques. Now I find great joy finding bargains at consignment shops for clothing and my home. I also shop at country antique stores. You would be surprised what you can find in those out of the way places!
My mother and I used to go to the trendy village of Yorkville, in Toronto where there was an abundance of high-end consignment shops. My mother taught me to look for well made clothing, rather than trendy styles.
I find that I have more compassion for others as well and can give more freely to those who need a little help when I don't spend every cent I earn on make-up and clothing. Giving to others also feels good. It opens our hearts. If we are generous with our money, we are more generous with love as well.
When you love yourself, you take care to get enough sleep. You do your nails not for your boyfriends or husbands, but because it makes YOU feel better about you. It does not take any longer to put real clothes on versus a sweat suit and will make you feel infinitely better about yourself as well. Dress for you. Dress to please yourself. Wear clothes that fit rather than hang on you. Many of us buy clothing that is too big, trying to hid behind a baggy shirt or top.
How Can I Love Myself?
- Get enough sleep. Don't stay up watching movie after movie and then drag yourself up to bed at 3:00 AM. Go to bed at the same time every night. Get up at the same time every morning. Your body will feel so much better for it. You will also have more of an interest in sex if you get enough sleep.
- Eat within the first hour of waking up. This will wake up your metabolism. When you wait hours to eat your first meal, your body thinks you are starving and will store more fat. You will also end up devouring muscle to feed your body. It is not a healthy cycle to get into. Eat within the first hour of waking.
- Exercise daily. Walk outside. Take your dog for a walk. Get yourself outside. Nature, fresh air and exercise will help you feel more valuable, and healthy. Moving is something that many of us stop doing as we age. It is exactly the opposite of what our body needs. Keep moving. Do it for you! Moving daily keeps your body well-oiled.
- Paint your toe nails. Even if you live alone, take care of you. Pamper yourself and give yourself a manicure. You don't have to spend a ton of money on a weekly manicure, do it yourself! Looking down and seeing your pink toe-nails can make you smile, feel pretty and even sexy!
- Recycle! There are tons of second-hand, nearly new consignment shops around. You can look smart without spending your paycheck. I buy better quality clothes second-hand than I could afford new. Many people buy clothes and never wear them, recycling at consignment shops. You are doing two great things by buying from a consigner: you are helping out the environment and the seller by purchasing their cast-offs!
- Wear pretty clothes! If you wear clothes that are big, bulky and frumpy, you will feel big, bulky and frumpy! Dress for joy! I was recently in San Diego with a client. When I stopped by in my second-hand dress that made me feel - oh so happy, she noticed it too. She told me I looked sexy!
- Wear pretty night clothes. Sleeping in sweats makes you feel frumpy. Dress to feel happy, pretty but comfortable all at the
same time. I love soft fabrics, as well as comfort, but I always wear something pretty at night - for ME!
You might not stand like this, but it will make
you feel pretty and sexy! - Dress for you! Wear what you love and it will show. I don't follow fashion rules or trends. I wear what looks good on me and makes me feel good. I don't dress for anyone else than myself. I recommend wearing colors that suit you. Everyone has colors that they look best in. Stick to the color pallet that suits you best, rather than following color trends.
It is easy to sink into lower vibrational feelings, not shower, do our hair, makeup or dress attractively. When we continue to throw on sweats rather than something pretty, we can feel unattractive. Feeling good is an upward spiral. We think good thoughts, we feel better. We get up and shower, and that makes us feel better. We put on makeup and dress in something pretty that fits well and we feel even better.
Not dressing to feel good becomes a downward spiral. We wake up and feel bad, so we don't shower. We throw on sweats because no one will see us anyway and then feel even worse. Instead dress to feel good - for you. Shower to feel refreshed and positive for you. Do these things so that you feel better, more positive and your day will go better.
Focusing on the material is not what this article is about. Being materialistic is a very different discussion than the one we are having. When we are feeling depressed that is the very time we need to pull out the dress or outfit that makes us feel terrific, beautiful and attractive. Paint your nails not because you are going out - but because you are staying home and it makes you feel pretty, attractive and girly.
No matter our body type, we can find clothes that fit and make us look more attractive, which in turn helps us feel better. Clothes don't make us, but they can detract or add depending on how we feel in our clothing. When we throw a dress on instead of work-out clothes, or even a pair of crazy pants with fringe, we feel happy, glad to be alive and it shows.
Jennifer Elizabeth Masters is a coach, empowering women and the men that ask to feel happier more connected and find their spiritual purpose. When we live our life on purpose rather than allowing life to happen to us, everything shifts. Jennifer is a compassionate coach who lovingly roots up your issues and will call you on your crap when you are standing on a very large pile of it. If you are stuck, depressed, unhappy, not sure of what the heck life is all about, Jennifer will guide you into living a life fully expressed in joy in each and every breath! Click here, to be connected with her private e-mail to set up your first session or discovery session now.
