What does it mean to honour yourself? This is something that I have learnt more and more about, down through the years, because there have been times when I felt that I was honouring myself, but I was not, because I was not being true to myself. It was not coming from a place of self love and self acceptance.
We can sometimes fool ourselves into a false sense of security and convince ourselves that we are happy, that we are living authentically. Which is completely different for each one of us, we all have our own path and it is our own responsibility to find our own way. To have the courage to step out of a life, that was perhaps already carved out for us. Courage to break away and discover who we really are!
We spend most of our youth trying to fit in, fit into a society that wishes to label us. That has designated paths that we can choose from, anything else is frowned upon. If your heart calls to you, to walk down one of those paths, that go for it. But for me, my heart, my soul called for something else.
I went down one of their paths, but it made me feel trapped and oppressed, I saw things that really upset me and that I felt like I could not speak out about! Because if I did, I was quickly shut down. So I spend my weekends, partying, indulging, escaping.
This way of life had me running away from myself, instead of running to embrace who I was!Sure, I took the time partake in acts of self care, of self love, but they were shallow acts, because deep down I was so unhappy, so disconnected!
It took me a few years to get out of that cycle, to leave that country behind, that lifestyle and to travel. To clear my head and reconnect with who I really was. Of course that part of my life, made me who I am today and I look back today and I am happy to honour it, I am aware of how important it was in shaping me into who I am today!
It opened my eyes and interestingly enough my heart more, through my escape, it softened me to the world around me, but I did no feel complete, so I made the decision, to reconnect with who I was.
To reconnect with the wild within me, to leave that system behind and find a way to create a better life for myself. Which is what led me to a nomadic lifestyle, living in a van, then a bus and now a truck.
I honour myself, by living true to who I am, living a life that is connected to nature, to the seasons. A life that sees me celebrating each one. I honour myself by growing some of my own food, by being mindful about what I eat and following a wholesome vegan diet.
I honour myself, by allowing myself to feel, to let each emotion flow through me and not try and bury how I am feeling, out of fear of what others may think. I honour myself by taking time, to do the things that I love, by building community and celebrating life.
By singing and dancing, allowing my heart to soar. By writing my words and sharing my truth, I honour myself, by the actions that I take, by the choices that I make.
One thing I have learnt in my 40 odd years on this earth, is that we do not celebrate life enough and that we do not express enough gratitude for all that we have and for all the people that we have in our lives. I honour myself, by honouring those around me, by honouring all living things.
The more that I honour my children, the the more that I honour myself and vice versa! By setting clear boundaries for them and for me, I am showing them how to honour themselves. Boundaries, are one of the most important aspects of self care.
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