How do you feel about yourself and your life?

When I was growing up, my mum always used to say to me;

People value you at what you value yourself.

At the time I don’t think I truly understood what she meant. But having lived more and experienced other people, I feel there is some truth in what she said.

Ask yourself these questions;

• Do you express your views and emotions honestly, albeit kindly?
• Do you take action on how you truly feel?
• Do you give yourself time and space in your life?
• Do you look after your own mental health?

If you value yourself in your interactions with others, you are able to feel and speak honestly, know your needs and be able to take actions to satisfy them.

Expressing your views and emotions

Of course it goes without saying, that in sharing your views and emotions it should be with kindness, love and sensitivity to others. If you did it in a way that hurt others or was vulgar and included a lot of swearing, you are not honouring yourself. You may come to regret it. However, being able to speak your truth is very important to feeling a sense of freedom. It should not be ignored and if not done, can make your throat chakra feel uncomfortable and even blocked.

Taking action on how you truly feel

Are you living your own life or one that somebody else wants you to live?

Sometimes fear of doing or saying the wrong thing can stop you from doing what you want to do. This is not about recklessly doing mad things, but rather doing, in a considered way, what feels right for you. You are the most important person in your life. It is right you should get to make the choices for you in your life. Afterall the choices you make today, brings the life you experience tomorrow.

Do you give yourself time and space in your life?

No-one can ‘Go, Go, Go’ all of the time. You need time to pause and reflect on what is going on in your life. Are you leading the life you want? If not, how can you make a course correction to improve it. This pause and reflection take time and space. You may also want time and space to pursue your own interests such as reading or researching a topic that interests you or attend a class, meet a friend. We all need time to just enjoy life.

Life is for living and enjoying.

Looking after your own mental health

Each of us are responsible for the life we lead. Your values, choices and actions lead to the life you experience. Even in the direst of situations, you get to choose how you react to it.

I really admire Viktor Frankl. He expressed in his book, Mans Search for Meaning, how he chose, as an inmate of the extermination camps of World War II, to continue to feel hope for a better life in the future. This single feeling of hope helped him to survive and go on to life a good life. Listening to the negative, angry voice inside would have weakened him. So, he chose to counter it with hope.

How do you value yourself and your life?