In my book, The Bad Kitty Handbook – A Journey Toward Authentic Female Sensuality, I give a list of the changes that will happen in your life when you truly own your Bad Kitty. Over the next few weeks, we’ll go over some of these in detail.
This week is “A Bad Kitty is someone who – Loves Herself.”
The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. ~Sonya Friedman
Have you ever wondered why it feels like others aren’t giving you the respect you think you deserve? Look in the mirror. Are you giving yourself the respect you deserve?
There are so many ways we can be hard on ourselves, and we women are so good at it! We downgrade our accomplishments, we pick apart our looks, we treat ourselves as second class citizens giving everyone else higher priority, we treat compliments as lies, we put our goals and dreams on the back burner for years – or forever.
Wouldn’t you rather feel good about yourself? It takes a lot of work to be so hard on yourself all the time. We’re told that it’s bad to speak highly of ourselves – it’s proud – don’t blow your own horn. Take note, there is a difference between loving yourself and being arrogant.
Loving yourself is understanding your strengths and not hiding them under a bushel. It’s about seeing your beautiful features rather than dwelling on your slight imperfections. Loving yourself is giving yourself a break once in awhile!
How would you like to say, like Mae West, “I don’t like myself, I’m crazy about myself!”
In order to love yourself more day by day, here are a few tips:
- Accept compliments graciously. Compliments are a gift. Accept them as such. You will start to actually believe them when you stop waving them off as insignificant or wrong.
- Look for what you like about yourself in the mirror. We all have things that are less than perfect – that’s what makes us interesting. Concentrate on the things you like – your eyes, hair, hands, whatever it may be and the “imperfections” will be much less glaring in your mind.
- Make time for yourself. Find a way everyday to do something that feeds your soul. Read, walk, sing, dance, write, take a bath – whatever it is be sure to take at least half an hour or more for yourself daily.
- Celebrate your success. We are so good at going from task to task and forget to look back and give ourselves a pat on the back. Be sure to put as much priority on your “to done” list as your “to do” list.
- Cut yourself some slack. When you don’t do everything you planned in a day, when you do something poorly, when you say something you regret in the heat of the moment – recognize that you are human, you make mistakes. Do what it takes to make it right, if necessary like apologizing or re-doing something, and move on.
Many others love you. Can they be wrong? You must be lovable so get your love on!
Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror. ~Byron Katie
Hug yourself as I send hugs to you, Christie