Turn on a radio or listen to Songza and you’re sure to hear a song that is about longing for love, finding love, or losing love. Yes, just what we need…more messages telling us that love is something completely outside of ourselves and that we need someone else in order to feel accepted, loved…“complete”.
Well, I say that it’s time to say “screw off” to that disempowering fairytale. The reality is (and in some ways you may be loathed to hear this) that you’re never going to feel truly accepted, loved, and complete until you begin loving yourself.
Right about now you might be thinking, ‘Yeah, yeah…self-love…blah, blah, blah’, but after many years coaching folks from every walk of life, I’ve found this to be one of those universal truths…if you haven’t learned to accept and love yourself, it doesn’t matter how much others try to love you, you will never quite believe them and their love will never seem like enough.
Now the path to self-acceptance and self-love can be a long and demanding one requiring courageous exploration and new approaches, but you can take a step down that path TODAY with one simple and fun tool…claiming one of those aforementioned love songs for your relationship with your self!
See, I don’t know about you, but I spent the first part of my life listening to romantic songs envisioning my soul-mate singing it to me or me singing it to them. Now, though, some of the favorite love songs on my playlist are ones that have become an ode to myself. For example, when I hear Erasure’s “A Little Respect” and the line “Soul, I hear you calling. Oh baby, please give a little respect to me”, I imagine my little soul pleading to me to be kinder to it.
So, let’s find you a song that your precious self would love to have sung to it – anything from soft and sweeping ballads like “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” by Van Morrison, “At Last” by Etta James, or Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” to heart-pumping tunes like Guns and Roses’ “Sweet Child O Mine”, Rihanna’s “We Found Love”, or “Wild Thing” by The Troggs. Once you’ve claimed your song, play it at least once a day over this next week and envision singing this song to your self…make sure to really drink it in.
If nothing comes to mind immediately for you, here are some websites to help you find “your song”.
Old school love songs: http://stereogum.com/4607/the_100_greatest_love_songs_according_to_the_ny_da/list
Songs a little more off the beaten path: http://www.nerve.com/music/best-love-songs-of-all-time
If you’re needing some auditory inspiration, this site allows you to listen to the songs right in the list: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/50-best-love-songs
Here at Vividlife, we’d love to hear what love song you choose for your self, so come on over and share on the Vividlife Facebook Page!
Now…get busy stoking that love affair with your sweet self!
“We’re waiting for a ship to come in that never went out.” – Luci Swindoll
Written by Kimberly Carroll
Kimberly Carroll is a Body/Mind/Spirit Expert, television host/producer, & activist whose popular personal development bootcamps have been helping transform and ignite lives around the world. With a cheeky and down-to-earth approach, Kimberly is an entertaining and loving guide for people delving into the world of personal growth, spirituality, and conscious living. She’s been featured in the Globe and Mail, as a regular on Newstalk 1010’s “The Buddha Lounge”, and is one of the authors of the award-winning anthology “Soul Whispers”. Her next LIFE REBOOT PROGRAMS (7 weeks to tune in, power up, & create the life and world you love!) start Jan. 26 (in-person in Toronto) and early spring (online/tele-program). She also does private coaching in-person or long distance.
