Be Your Own Best Valentine

"You lie upon my heart as on a nest, folded in peace" —Amy Lowell

I've been thinking about being good to myself, loving myself, being my own best valentine. What would that look like? I know the times when I have been the most uncomfortable, felt unhappy, discontent, I was not truly being good to me. Do you notice that? I get myself in a "bad" mood, and believe me I recognize it is my choice, and then it snowballs. I don't feel like fixing myself good food, but rather making poor food choices or overeating. I hang out alone feeling sorry for myself and pathetic. Is this sounding familiar at all?

Next day I wake up ready to start anew and I think - today will be different, I will be good to me. It really is about that, being good to me. In that moment when I am feeling less than, feeling blah, that is when I need to let my nurturing side take over and take care of me. That is when I can take a little extra effort to do something nice for me which doesn't mean having chips and bean dip for dinner, but being gentle and kind, asking myself what would make me feel just a little bit better right now.

This month with Valentine's day coming up, I'm focusing on being good to me. I'd like to invite you to be good to you as well. Do what feels good. Do what you love. Is there something you have been putting off that you'd like to get handled so you can live a happy life? I'd like to invite you to experience the power of coaching. I'm looking for a few good coachees right now -- folks really ready to take the plunge and be coached, ready to take control of their lives and have more joy, more happiness, more of all that they love. I'd love to support you in that journey. By supporting you I support being good to me. Start by loving you and watch the love and happiness flow.

Midway Upon the Journey...

of our life I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost. ~ The Divine Comedy

That is the first line of that infamous book by Dante. I'm starting out with that line today because it speaks so loudly to me of this point of life - midlife - which I prefer to call the second half of life. Somehow that sounds more promising and exciting -- like what could be ahead in this part of the journey?

Haven't you been there in that dark forest when the pathway had been lost? I have. I think what makes it the most challenging when I've found myself in that place, is feeling alone in the forest. It's scary and it's lonely and when I've lost the path I can start to get lost in the woods and if that wandering in the wilderness keeps up very long, I can feel like giving up, going down an easier path or maybe going backwards the way I came. This ever happen to you?

Getting into that mindset of feeling lost and alone impacts us of course because it becomes that negative downward spiral. I've experienced this both in my personal life and in my business life -- and I have to say what helps me get back onto MY PATH is finding some support along the way. It can be a book or class that will help me look outside my own box, or a friend or colleague experiencing something similar who can boost me up. I've also had many coaches in the last several years who have supported me, listened to me, acknowledged that what I am feeling is true and valid and partnered with me to find ways to locate the path and walk even more surely on my journey. Coaches such as myself are available and most will schedule a "check it out" session at no cost to allow you to see what's possible.

Lost in the forest? Looking for the path? Give yourself some time to locate support, because none of us really want to journey through the nine circles of hell!