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Arete Warriors – spirit, mind, body strong

Self Love

The most important relationship you have.

Dear Reader,

Do you ever have those random moments where you suddenly realize how lucky you are? It happened to me this morning in the shower.

I am reading the best book right now. Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is The Beginning & End Of Your Suffering by Joseph Nguyen.

He led us through a little thought experiment yesterday. He asked us to close our eyes & think back to a dream we had when we were young. What is something we hoped to become or attain?

We aren’t supposed to force it. Just relax. What comes up?

For me it was instant & surprising.

I could remember an early wish to one day be married, to a smart, handsome, strong man who adored me. He would take care of me, provide financial security & cover me with love & protection. We would probably have kids, maybe live on a ranch in the woods… but the important part was my feeling safe, loved & secure. This husband would protect me from all the scary things in the world.

I might have been 5.

(And this might explain my crush on Rip.) 😜

Today, at 50, I have all that & more. And still sometimes, I have to remind myself how lucky I am. 🫣

As we approach the end of this 365 day unit, it is customary to think of all the ways we want to be better. We make a mental list of all the potential improvements & set about making goals & intentions for the next 365 days.

But this morning in the shower, I had a moment of gratitude for all the things I already am, have & do.

Remember when you wanted everything you have now?

Remember when you hoped to BE who you are today?

Do you have GOOD habits now you had to intentionally work to establish?

We need to take a moment & thank our past self for the gifts she has given us today.

Let’s Work – the exercise

Singing my own praises is not something that feels comfortable to me but, my Ideal Woman is proud of who she is & has no qualms owning all that greatness.

Her GOOD qualities are as much a part of her as her faults.

​I made this journal page for you AND your kids. Please print one off for each of you, or decide on a few of your own prompts for this family activity.

When I do things like this with my kids I tell them I will not look. It’s just for them if they want it to be.

But, when they do choose to share it with me, I am usually blown away.

You will learn so much from this exercise.

1. Your kids are about to show YOU what it looks like to like & be proud of who you are. (Depending on their age.) And,
2. if it IS a struggle for them, it will be impactful to have mom help point out all the wonderful things they may not be able to see about themselves right now.

It doesn’t matter how old they are. If they are too young to write, just ask them what they like about themselves.

What are you good at? What do you like about your body, mind or spirit? What is a special trait about you that makes you awesome? How have you improved in some way recently?

Seriously! We NEED to take some time to celebrate the wins before deciding which challenges to take on next.

There is only one relationship you are in for your entire life. All other relationships depend on the one you have with yourself. Doesn’t it make sense that we should spend some time making sure it’s a good one?

I challenge you to respond with one thing you like about who you are today. 😘

Give the gift of FITNESS! ​GIFT CARDS available now to workout with us! These workouts can be done on zoom at home while I can see you, or you can do the recording whenever you prefer.