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One of a Kind News

Table of Contents

1. Welcome Notes
2. Article -- Loving Your Self
3. Words of Wisdom
4. Resources

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1. Welcome Notes

Once again, I want to welcome several new subscribers. If you would like to review past issues of One of a Kind News, click on Archives List.

It's been said many times that you can't love another until you love yourself. Many people express the importance of loving yourself. I have expressed the importance of loving yourself to others. But, and this is a big BUT, what does it mean to love yourself and how do you do it?

In this issue I'm kicking off a series of articles on Loving Your Self. I have learned and am learning much on this subject and am inspired and enthusiastic to share.

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2. Loving Your Self

I What is the one thing that you want, above all else, FOR your children and grandchildren? Sit with that question for a moment. What comes up for you?

What I want most for my three daughters, granddaughter and four grandsons is that they love themselves. I have come to believe that loving ourselves is the single most important thing we will ever do in this lifetime. I want my loved ones to have great lives. What I know is that it's impossible to have a great life if you don't love yourself.

What does it mean to love your Self? I struggled with that question most of my life. Where are we taught how to love ourselves? Not in school. Most of us didn't learn it at home. In church? Maybe or maybe not. People can't teach what they don't know. Unless we were fortunate enough to be around people who did love themselves, we had no way of learning how to love ourselves. It's only in the past couple of years that I have discovered what it means to really love my Self. Here's my definition:

LOVING MY SELF MEANS TAKING EXCELLENT CARE OF EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE.

It means:

• Taking great care of my mind, body and spirit.
• Taking exceptionally good care of my finances, environment and relationships.
• Doing ONLY what makes me feel good about myself.
• Being true to myself -- always telling my truth to myself and to others.
• BEING my natural self -- my best self.
• Taking full responsibility for my life.
• Only having things and people in my life that are good for me.

When I love myself well, I love my life and everyone and everything in it. I am in a place of inner peace and joy. When something isn't going well in my life, I know that I need to look at how I'm being unloving in some way. It's likely that I'm not taking good care of some aspect of my life.

We were created by love to give love to ourselves and to others. We can't give what we don't have. What a glorious world this would be if each and every one of us loved ourselves well.

During the next few weeks, I will be writing about taking excellent care of every aspect of your life, about loving yourself. Here are some questions to consider:

(Keep in mind the definition "Loving myself means taking excellent care of every aspect of my life.")

1. In what ways am I being loving to myself?
2. In what ways am I being unloving to myself?
3. What areas of my life are going great? What am I doing to create this?
4. What areas of my life are not going well? What might I be doing to contribute to this?
5. What aspect of my life needs the most love right now? In what ways can I provide that love?
6. If I really loved myself, what would I do differently in my life?

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3. Words of Wisdom

"You have two choices in life: Destroy your spirit trying to be someone else, or accept yourself."
--Camrn Manheim

"If I can think of myself as loved, I can love and accept others. If I see myself as forgiven, I can be gracious toward others. If I see myself as powerful, I can do what I know is right. If I see myself as full, I can give myself freely to others."
--Kathy Peel

"If your life isn't working the way you want it to, notice ñ you're lying."
--Dr. Robert Anthony

"The relationships we have with the world are largely determined by the relationships we have with ourselves."
--Greg Anderson

"Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame."
--Erica Jong

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4. Resources

The Portable Coach, 28 Surefire Strategies for Business and Personal Success, by Thomas J. Leonard

As far as I know, Thomas Leonard was the originator of the personal coaching profession. He was the founder of Coach University and remains a leader in the coaching profession. I attribute much of my learning about how to love myself (take excellent care of every aspect of my life) to the teachings of Thomas Leonard and Coach University.

This book is filled with practical tips and suggestions and a multitude of checklists that you can use to strengthen your Self and your life. I highly recommend it!

Order from Amazon

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Until we meet again, remember to:

Count your garden by the flowers,
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don't remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your years with smiles, not tears.
Count your blessings, not your troubles.
Count your age by friends, not years.
--Author Unknown

Blessings to you and yours,

Sharon

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Copyright © 2000, 2001,2002 all rights reserved.
U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1536-5891
Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute One of a Kind News so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached. The author of this newsletter is: Sharon L. Demarte, M.A.