Have you ever noticed how some people seem to have a charmed life?

Maybe it’s lasting love, plenty of money or a successful business. Maybe they are just happy for no reason at all.

Yet no matter how hard you try, when it comes to certain things in your life, you seem to hit a wall.

Why is it difficult for most of us to find fulfilment in certain areas in our life? Each of us has a core pattern of fear or a belief that’s held in place from something that occurred in the past, usually when we were young.

As we begin to desire something, our fear can grip us in an unconscious belief that keeps us from exactly what we want. These old, subconscious beliefs and fears are keeping us from where we want to be today.

Here is an example. Let’s say, since you can remember, your family’s belief around money has been — it never comes easy and there’s never enough. Perhaps you grew up in an environment that believed those who have money are greedy and/or money corrupts people and societies. Looking back over your life you notice money hasn’t come easy and if you’re really honest, you don’t expect it to change.

Yet, there are people in your life who seem to have all the money they desire and then some. So, what’s the difference?

What you believe or feel on the inside (whether you are aware of it or not) is what you will create on the outside. Your life, as you see it today, is a reflection of your thoughts, beliefs, emotions and fears.

These fears and beliefs don’t have to be around money. They can include fears of abandonment, humiliation, co-dependency, perfection, and failure just to name a few.

When you become aware of your old constricting fears and beliefs, you are able to see them differently. From this place you can begin to dismantle them and create new beliefs so you can begin living the life you desire and deserve.

Take Action Now:

* Look at where you struggle in your life. It could be healthy relationships, money, a fulfilling career, a loving partner or just believing in yourself.

* Notice the fear pattern, belief or fear that is keeping you stuck? Do you believe you must be perfect? That life is hard? Are you dependent on others or afraid you’ll be abandoned or betrayed? Are you afraid of making mistakes or being judged? Do you believe men/women are not to be trusted?

*Become intimate with this belief and/or fear. Have compassion for this frightened and confused part of yourself.

* Now allow the adult within to redefine what is really true for you. Step powerfully into this new belief.

To claim freedom and happiness in your life, you must become intimate with your fears and beliefs so you can dismantle them and create the life you desire.

Do you desire more love in your life? Do you ever think, “When I find my true love then I’ll be complete”? Or maybe you’re already in a long-term relationship and you’d like it to be more loving.

As long as you search for love outside of yourself, you will never find it.

That’s because love has nothing at all to do with someone else. If you think love is what you want, you’ll be searching for it your whole life. That’s like searching for the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s just not there.

Love is inside of you.

No matter how hard you try, you just won’t find lasting love anywhere else but within. You can’t earn it or perform for it.

Love is not what you want. Love is what you are. This is a very important distinction.

If you think love is what you want, you’ll spend your life searching for it. If you know love is what you are, you’ll spend your life sharing it. By sharing love, you will find what the searching will never give you.

Love begins within. It’s your birthright. You are love. Awaken and reconnect to your love within.

As you connect with the love inside, you will be able to share it with others. Just by being the love, you will attract more love to you and create the love-filled life you desire.

Yet, it’s impossible to give to others what you don’t think you have within to give. So, how easy is it for you to connect to the love within yourself? It all begins with loving yourself.

Here are three things to try this week:

* Do something loving for yourself every day. Ask yourself each day, “What do I desire?” and give it to yourself. Do for yourself what you wish others would do for you. Take care of yourself first. Romance yourself like you want to be romanced.

* Find a quiet place and close your eyes.
Take 3 deep breaths to ground yourself within.
Now, connect with the feeling of love. You can do this by remembering someone whom you love such as your child or your pet. Or maybe, remembering something you love doing, a project you are working on, or an activity you love to do.
This exercise triggers the love that is already inside of you. Hold onto this feeling for as long as you can. Be the love.

* Another exercise is to go to a mirror and gaze into your eyes. Tell yourself, “I love you.” Feel this love for yourself.

By regularly doing these exercises you are reconnecting to the love within you.Practice reconnecting to and sharing your love every day. Give it to yourself and give it to others.

Love yourself. Love others. Be the love.

A Personal Note from Cindy

I just purchased our tickets to the U.S. for June and July. I am so looking forward to enjoying another summer in California. For me that means quality time spent with our daughter and my mother, attending my aunt’s 90th birthday with my cousins, reconnecting with my college friends and girlfriends and living 6 weeks on the lake soaking up the warm weather, our long lazy days and the lifestyle it brings. This year both of our kids will be together with us at the lake for the first time in 8 years. I’m really excited!

Yet, I have 8 weeks here in New Zealand before we leave. I love my time here, yet I can’t wait to get my arms around my daughter and enjoy summer at the lake.

Do you ever wish time would pass so you could get to the warmer days, love-filled moments or fun times ahead?

We know our days are numbered, yet it’s easy to take them for granted. It’s almost like we fall asleep believing our day-to-day life as we know it will go on forever. We think we have plenty of time. But do we?

Often, it’s not until we lose a loved one or discover we are sick and dying that we focus on making the most of every moment we have here. Why does it take an event this big to remind us of how precious each day is?

Losing track of time on the internet, forgetting to check in with friends, or not stopping to give grace for the food on our table and my strong healthy body are a few of the ways I, too, can take my beautiful life for granted.

In this moment right now, I encourage you to remember, today is as precious as a sunrise yet melting as quickly as a snowflake.

Fill your heart with gratitude, love and joy and celebrate your life right now.

With much love and gratitude for you,

How to Be a Gratitude Magnet

One of the turning points in my life was when I was learning to tree-ski through powder snow. I loved the freedom of skiing down a groomed run and wanted to experience the exhilaration of powder skiing through a forest of trees. The thought of getting hurt, however, became quite threatening and scary.

After loading the chairlift for another try, I explained to my ski teacher how I was feeling as I skied down the steep tree-lined slope.

“I feel like I’m going to ski right into a tree, and I’m afraid I’m going to get hurt,” I explained.

“The secret is to keep your eyes on the spaces between the trees, not on the trees,” he replied.“Look to where you are going, not where you don’t want to go.”

Sure enough, as soon as I took my focus off the trees and looked at the spaces between the trees, it was like a magnet pulled me through with effortless ease.

That is exactly the same with life. We get discouraged and frustrated with the many obstacles in our way. We fear the worst. Yet, we must remember, we are drawn to what we give attention to.

When you focus on your problems and what is NOT working, you get more of the same. Instead, it’s important to focus on what you desire or on the solution.

Below are two ways to use this principle in your life.

* Give attention to what you want in life, not to what you don’t want. True story: Before going into a store, almost boastfully, both my grandmother and mother used to declare whatever they were looking for would be not be available. Of course, we were never surprised when 9 times out of 10 they were right. From that experience, I have claimed the opposite to be true. I know I will find exactly what I need in life and yes, 9 out of 10 times I do. And when I don’t, I trust something better is on its way.

* When making a comment or requesting something from someone, state what you desire, not what you don’t desire. For example, when your son is driving long distance late at night, suggest “Drive carefully” instead of “Don’t get hurt.”

As you ski down the hill of life, get clear with what you desire and imagine being THERE. See and feel it happening. Let go of trying to control it or your circumstances and let it flow. As you begin to flow, you feel a great sense of gratitude.

When you are in gratitude, like a magnet, you attract and create more things to be grateful for.

Try this:

1. Notice when you focus on what you don’t want. This could be giving attention to a problem, a negative person or a fear of what could happen.
2. Stop and turn it around. Instead, imagine what you do want. See and feel the desired outcome. You don’t have to know how it is going to happen. Just know it will.
3. State your requests and desires to yourself and others in a positive format.
4. Take time each day to give gratitude for what’s going right in your life. This can be when you first wake up, before a meal, or before you go to sleep at night. Give thanks for all you can.

Whatever emotion you are feeling, that is your vibration or frequency. You are usually feeling a combination of emotions, which creates your resonance. Your resonance actually attracts what shows up for you in your world. In other words, whatever emotions you are resonating, the Universe will match it.

Don’t stuff your feelings. Depending on the emotion, feel and release it or feel and expand it!

If you are hurting, don’t try to explain or defend the reason why. By doing so, you are just giving more attention to the hurt and locking it in with your story. Detach from the story. Let it go and let it flow!

1. A tendency to think and act deliberately, rather than from fears based on past experience.
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
3. A loss of interest in judging others.
4. A loss of interest in judging self.
5. A loss of interest in conflict.
6. A loss of interest in interpreting the action of others.
7. A loss of ability to worry.
8. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
9. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and with nature.
10. Frequent attacks of smiling through the heart.
11. Increasing susceptibility to kindness offered, and the uncontrollable urge to reciprocate.
12. An increasing tendency to allow things to unfold, rather than resisting and manipulating.

~ Author unknown

There is a big shift happening in the world today. Can you feel it?

In the past, we approached life from a more masculine perspective by trying to control and manipulate our world – our resources, our circumstances and the people around us, in hope of having more security, prosperity and power.

Have you noticed it’s just not working as well anymore? Banks and businesses have tumbled, people are out of work, many have lost their homes, exhausted, scared and confused.

It’s time for change.

Whether you are a man or a woman, it’s time to let go of the old paradigm of domination and embrace a new, feminine power of dominion. It’s a new way of conscious being that will make life easier.

Below are 11 components of this feminine power:

1. It’s a power that comes from within. Instead of attempting to force, manipulate or control the people or circumstances around you, you tap into your energetic power inside, including your beliefs, feelings, thoughts and intuition.
2. You know your emotions attract the circumstances of your life. You are comfortable dropping out of your head and into your body at any time, “authentically” feeling in that moment. You’re aware of the impact of your “false” emotions, such as self-pity, jealousy and blame, and how they create and keep you stuck in the past. You’re courageous enough to vulnerably feel and release your authentic emotions such as anger and sadness as you lift yourself to more well-being, passion and love.
3. You recognize you are a spiritual being, having a physical experience.You are willing to tap into this presence through meditation, journal writing, time in nature, movement, and creativity to name a few.
4. You let go of the past, knowing it cannot serve you. You forgive the past and instead stand in the present, while embracing the possibilities of the future. Letting go of worry, fear and doubt, you stay present in the NOW, paying attention to what shows up in this moment. By trusting in this process, you are able to receive abundantly for your highest and best good.
5. You embrace and engage your imagination and creativity, because it’s fun, it feels good and it helps you to connect with your “inner power.” You do this by inviting your “inner child” to show you the way.
6. You surrender to gratitude, no matter what may be going on around you. This doesn’t mean to ignore other emotions such as sadness or anger, but be willing to see and receive the “gift” in any situation and embrace the “learning” from any person in your life. You are able to see the “cup” half full.
7. You recognize, face and feel fear, grief, and anger as well as the resistance that confronts you, with acceptance, love and forgiveness. By doing so, you allow it to move through you.
8. You’re able to nurture, love and heal yourself in ways you have hoped others would do for you in the past. Whether it is romance, respect or unconditional love, you understand whatever you desire from others, you give it to yourself first.
9. Coming from prosperity consciousness, you know there is plenty to go around. You choose to co-create and support others in an effort to share what you have and serve more people, rather than compete or prove in the desire of earning more self-esteem, recognition and power.
10. You understand we are all connected… all people, plants, animals, the oceans and land, as well as the elements around us. We honor and respect each other and our planet, knowing if harm is done to one it will eventually effect us all.
11. You consciously create your life through intention. Like Martin Luther King, Jr. so brilliantly modelled, dream of a powerful future rather than only setting goals and creating action plans. This is not to say that action is unnecessary. Of course, taking action is vital to getting most things done in life. Yet, the feminine way is done from the inside out. First, get clear with where you are going and why, as you set an intention. Next, let go of limiting beliefs and fears, and trust in “this or something better, with harm to none.” As you follow the path of least resistance, notice what and who shows up around you. Notice the messages or “whispers” around you. What is the Universe trying to tell you? Trust in this process. As things become clearer, you take inspired action, asking for help along the way and receiving with ease and grace.

When we abandon the above, we are giving in to the wounded ego’s lie of fear and isolation, no pain, no gain. The wounded ego says, “You better get to work, now! There is only so much to go around and if we don’t take it, someone else will. Don’t waste your time on such airy-fairy, frivolous behavior.”

But actually, the feminine way is the way of the future, and the future is NOW. If we are going to survive, even thrive in difficult times, it’s important to work together, to co-create a world of peace, abundance, hope, possibilities, opportunities and love. We really are all connected.

Isn’t it time to ask, “How can I help?” rather than, “What’s in it for me?”

The purpose of good Feng Shui is to keep healthy energy flowing. When clean energy flows around you freely, it feels good. When you feel good, your resonance feels lighter. A lighter resonance gives you a feeling of vitality, well-being and happiness. This resonance is what creates good health.

Below are 12 important Feng Shui tips for improving health and vitality in your home:

1. Keep a clean house. Dirt and clutter keeps you stuck in a lower resonance. When you are in a lower resonance you feel heavy. Heaviness is where disease lives and thrives, including depression. If you have allowed your home to get this dirty, it will feel quite challenging to clean it. The psychic debris is dragging you down and making it difficult to move forward… in clearing your physical space and in everything in your life.

2. Focus on the center of your home. What do you see and feel here? If there is a closet, make sure everything in it is being used, is in good working condition and kept tidy. Think EARTH. This area is associated with the earth element. You can strengthen your health energy by placing objects representing the earth here such as plants in large pots (make sure they are healthy), rocks (granite table), pottery, sculptures and by using earthy colors such as terra cotta, browns, golds and yellows.

3. Is there a bathroom or washing machine in the center of your home? If so, your health energy is going down the drains. Keep the door shut, the toilet/washer lid down and the sink or shower drains closed when not in use. Putting a mirror on the outside of the bathroom door will repel the energy back into the house.

4. Plants are wonderful for adding vibrant energy. Make sure they are healthy, vibrantly green and lush. Watch for spiky plants such as spider and cactus, as they should be avoided. Weeping plants such as willows and mulberry can bring on depression, particularly in the front yard. Your bedroom is an especially important place to keep healthy plants, as you spend much of your time resting and regenerating there. Using an odd number is most powerful.

5. Spiral staircases are very unhealthy, as their corkscrew shape creates a downward energy. The cures for this are:

* Place a big potted plant under the stairwell to catch the chi and send it upward.
* Place another plant at the top of the stairs to help pull the energy up as you climb them.
* Wrap a green silk vine around the handrail, beginning at the bottom and ending at the top. Feel the healing energy of the green color as you walk up the stairs.
* Hang a crystal ball at the top of the staircase, feeling its energy uplifting and energizing the location.

6. Watch for sharp corners or heavy beams, especially ones pointing at you while you are sitting at the table, your favorite chair, or directly at or over your bed. These are actually called “poison arrows” in Feng Shui and can be remedied in several ways. If you cannot move the pointed object, placing a plant, crystal ball or brass bell in front of it will soften and distract the chi. Beams can be wrapped in silk or live vines. Beams painted the same color as the ceiling are not as powerful as ones that are darker.

7. Keep electric items such as clocks, phones and radios away from your bed. Move them at least 2-3 feet away from your body, as these electrical appliances lower resistance and absorb vital energy. If you use an electric blanket, be sure to turn it off before you cozy down for the night.

8. Make sure your air is healthy and fresh. Air filters can be helpful in areas where unhealthy air or allergies are a problem. Opening windows and keeping air circulating is wonderful, unless of course you have allergies.

9. Vacuum for a quick pick-me-up. If you have a high-quality vacuum, use it is an easy way to clean up the chi and get an area energized. I often use this technique between client visits. Beware: many vacuums just break the dirt into smaller particles and spit it out again.

10. Check for toxic materials in your home. Old carpet and paint can emit toxic residue, dust mites and mold into your home and your family. Check your cleaning supplies and use only natural-based products. This will not only be better for you and your family, but you will also be helping the planet as a whole.

11. Lower energies from abuse of any kind can have a toxic effect on your health. Especially if your home has had other owners before you, you may have psychic debris embedded in your corners, floors and walls. The same goes for used furniture, especially beds. Replacing old mattresses and beds can do wonders for creating new beginnings, including new health. Clear toxic space by hiring a professional space clearer or learn to do it yourself with Karen Kingston’s bookCreating Sacred Space with Feng Shui.

12. With placing, rearranging and creating all Feng Shui cures, it is always important to visualize your intention or the outcome you want to see.Imagine your health vibrant, clear, energized, radiant and glowing! If you have a health challenge, feel and see your health improving. Trust this or something better is on its way!

Take a few minutes this week and walk through your home with this list. By making a few changes today, you may avoid serious health problems tomorrow.

Are you low on energy?
Do you tend to get head or stomach aches?
How about allergies?

In most of the western world — since we were young – we’ve been led to the doctor when we’re not feeling well.   Over the years we’ve been programmed to believe the doctor and her prescriptions will cure us.   But is this true?

In my experience, outside of physical trauma, my body responds best when I listen to my own inner-wisdom and make my shifts from within.

Remember, we are all energy.  Working with your energy and inner wisdom means clearing, unblocking and detoxifying the energy inside you.

Here are 9 tips to help you do this:

1. First, listen to your body. How do you feel?  What is your body trying to tell you?  It’s there for a reason.  It’s trying to tell you something.  Don’t just wish it away.  Thank it for its message and listen.
2. Follow your gut. What do you know to be true? Are you doing something because you “should” rather than what’s best for you?  Are you ignoring or numbing out from something or someone in your life?  What feels uncomfortable?  What are you avoiding?  What doesn’t feel “right”?  Get curious.  Go within and listen to what wants to be heard.
3. What is it time to let go of? Have you been arguing or defending your opinion to someone who won’t listen?  Are you unwillingly carrying someone’s painful energy in a well-intentioned desire to be helpful?  Have you been hanging out with negative energy of any sort, such as belittling sarcasm, intense competition or substance abuse?  It might be time to create boundaries or let go of certain “friends” or relatives.
4. Get outside. Clear your mind with nature.  Even if you live in the city, find a tree on the sidewalk, and lean against it.  Feel its energy.  Notice the birds and anything else around.  Become one with nature.
5. Get some exercise. Inhale deeply, and exhale all the stored toxic energy within you.  As you exhale, see and feel the toxins leaving your body. Replace them with clean, clear vibrant energy with each full inhalation.
6. Maybe it’s time for a yoga or dance class, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment to help you shift some energy.
7. Release some emotion.  Have you stuffed anger or rage inside yourself because you are afraid of what you might do if it comes out?  Do you have deep sadness that wants to be released?  Safely releasing clean emotion (detaching from the story and not dumping this energy on or at someone) will actually make room for another emotion to take its place.  There is great freedom here!  Begin to feel.  Let it go and let it flow.  You will feel much lighter.
8. What you put into your body (energy) has an effect on your overall energy. Are you drinking lots of clean water?  What about soda pop, diet drinks and alcohol?  Look at your diet.  Does it consist of live foods (fruits, whole grains and veggies), or do you crave processed dead foods (think of anything that sits in the center shelves of the grocery store)?  Food based vitamins, herbs and supplements can be another valuable way to support your body.
9. Notice how you judge yourself and others. Do you compare yourself, beating yourself up for not being enough?  Do you replay the past over and over in your mind?  Do you look at all the things you are not, instead of your gifts and talents?  What would it be like to unconditionally love yourself?  Even the uncomfortable parts, like the pain and exhaustion.  I challenge you to not judge the fat on your body, the divorce with your ex or the fight you had with your son.  Begin to feel compassion, for yourself and for your world.

We are all connected. When we turn on each other, we are turning on our selves.  An example of this is what goes on with an oil spill in the sea.  We may not be immediately affected by it at the time, but I promise you it will affect you in many ways in the future.  When the sea gets sick, the world gets sick.  When the world gets sick it affects us all. The same thing goes with mankind.  When one is hurting, it affects us all.  Stop trying to prove, earn, be right, better than or win.  Those energies are actually what are contributing to your exhaustion and pain.

All of these tips are important for optimal health and vitality.  You know your body and lifestyle better than anyone else.  Tap into the wisdom of your inner wisdom and make changes from that wise place within.

Next issue, I will share many useful Feng Shui tips for inside your home that will help increase your health and vitality.

Could your love-relationship use a “tune-up”?  Would you like to experience your partner as something more than just a roommate?  Do you yearn for more romance in your marriage?  Maybe you’re single and ready for something more.

Below are my favorite Feng Shui tips for attracting love and romance into your relationship and your life.

1. Charge the relationship “power spots” in your home. Standing at your front door, the farthest right corner in your house is your relationship area. It’s the perfect place for symbols of love. If possible, it’s the perfect place for your bedroom. You will find this same relationship “power spot” in the far right corner of all the rooms in your home.
2. Does energy flow into your bedroom with ease? Check to see if the path to your bedroom is easy to get to and your bedroom door swings effortlessly and is in good shape. Noisy, sticky and clashing doors and drawers can create chaos and arguing in the house. Keep things flowing smoothly and you will have a smooth and flowing relationship. To invite more energy into your room, hang a larger crystal ball or pleasant sounding wind chime directly outside the bedroom door secured with a red ribbon.
3. Place your bed along the farthest wall or corner from the door. Make sure you can easily see the door from your bed, making sure it’s not directly in the line of the door.
4. Have a solid and strong headboard and footboard on your bed. The head of the bed should be against the wall or in the corner at a 45-degree angle. Do not have your headboard against or below a window.
5. Hanging a round mirror in your bedroom will help to create more harmony and unity in your relationship.
6. Get rid of all energy of past relationships. A new bed is a powerful symbol of fresh opportunities. Your bed and mattress hold the energy of all who have slept on it. Both should be new to you and your present lover. Toss old photos, gifts and letters from anyone but your current partner.
7. Choosing the correct color for your bedroom is important. Pink, white and red are the colors of love and romance. Use peach if you welcome a new relationship. Green and blue help with balance and health. Dark colors attract depression and isolation.
8. Fresh flowers and plants bring fresh energy into your relationship. Adding healthy plants to your bedroom can make a large bedroom feel cozier, and symbolize new life and growth. Avoid prickly or spiky plants such as cacti and spider plants, which create symbolic daggers in your relationship.
9. Think pairs in the bedroom. Two bedside tables, two pillows, two lamps, two candles. Look out for single objects, unless of course you are happily single.
10. Display only photos of you and your partner in your bedroom. In creating a space for intimacy, it’s important to keep photos of family and friends in another place.
11. Keep your bedroom for sleep and romance only by getting rid of all distractions. This includes TVs, stereos, phones, exercise equipment, desks, computers, and excess furniture. Keep this room simple and flowing. Create a romantic ambiance by placing candles, flowers, beautiful artwork and items where you can enjoy them.
12. A bathroom in your bedroom can leak energy from your relationship lessening trust, passion, and connection. By all means, always keep the door shut and the lid to the toilet seat down.
13. A fireplace in the bedroom can burn up energy, causing exhaustion and strain in the relationship. You can cure this by placing a potted plant in front of it, keeping the flue closed, and refrain from use.
14. Having an outside door from your bedroom can lead to many problems in the relationship including disconnection. Hanging a wind chime in front of the door will help.
15. Do you have a beam over your bed? If so, this can cause constriction and pressure on your relationship.  If possible, move your bed away from the beam.  It’s helpful to paint the beam the same light color as the ceiling. The ideal cure is to hang two Feng Shui flutes at 45-degree angles, one on either end of the beam.
16. To attract a new partner, place a red flower in a white vase in the far right corner of your bedroom. You can also use the color peach in your wardrobe, bedroom, and living areas, but don’t forget to change it to pink when the relationship begins!
17. Visualize your intention when creating your space. See your relationship deepening, strengthening and blossoming. One way to do this is by collecting photos, words and phrases that symbolize your perfect relationship. Place them on a board or keep them in a special spot and visit them regularly.  Trust this or something better is on its way!

Do you find yourself wishing for more love in your life? Do you ever think, “Once I find my partner, then I’ll be happy”? Maybe you’re already in a relationship, but inside you know there could be a better connection, more romance and deeper love.

Do you find yourself doing things for other people, hoping to get that connection or love in return?

What if it wasn’t about that other person at all?

What if it was about learning to love the person desiring more love?

Just as money, an expensive car or a big title will never make you happy, no one outside you has the power to make you happy. You may feel loved for a little while, but it never lasts. It’s like going for the pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s only an illusion. You can’t get there from here.

When was the last time you told yourself how beautiful, intelligent or wonderful you are? How often do you do something special for yourself, for no reason other than it brings you joy?

True lasting love comes from within.

What you see in your outside world is a direct reflection of what you feel in your inside world. When you love yourself, the world loves you back. When you feel love inside, you have love to share with others. When you love yourself, you attract more love. It’s as simple as that!

How do you love yourself? It begins with self-realization and self-acceptance.

Below are a few ways you can begin to honor your individuality and love yourself and, in turn, begin to attract and receive a greater love.

1. Stop comparing yourself to others. Just as each snowflake is different, nobody else is like you. You are not the other person. Embrace and be proud of your uniqueness.
2. Rediscover your values and begin honoring them. Remember what brings you joy and make choices to honor that. Think of a peak experience in your life, when things were grand. What values were you honoring that made that experience so delightful? Honor more of yourself.
3. Spend time with yourself. Slow things down enough to notice what feels good and what doesn’t feel good. Notice what robs you of your energy and leaves you feeling frustrated and stuck and stop choosing it. Instead, make choices that will inspire, feed and fulfill you. Notice what’s fun and begin to do more of that. Laugh out loud.
4. Pamper yourself. Set a nice table and make nice meals for yourself. Keep a tidy house. Buy yourself flowers. Get a massage. Take yourself on a vacation. Treat yourself like the special person you are.
5. Respect and honor your body. Know that everything you do to yourself has an impact on how you feel. Treat yourself with love. Eat nutritious foods, drink lots of clean water, sleep 8 hours and get some daily exercise, even if it’s only 10 minutes.
6. Spend time in solitude, feeling and honoring your emotions. This takes practice and courage, but I promise there is such freedom in this. Honor yourself and let go of old stories of victimhood and self-pity that you have been holding onto and numbing out in. Be fully present to your authentic emotions such as anger, fear and sadness. Feel them and release them, making room for lighter emotions such as love, joy and gratitude.
7. Spend time in nature. The natural beauty and rhythm that nature provides will help you to reconnect with your true self. Nature provides a great place to reconnect with yourself and authentically feel.

This Valentine’s Day, spend some time romancing yourself. Fall in love with the person who means the most to you. Begin to Open your unique Doors Within, sit comfortably in each room, and get intimately reacquainted and fall in love with yourself again!