love: the best investment

"They say love is the best investment; the more you give, the more you get in return" ~ Audrey Hepburn

I came across this quote only this morning and I just thought "yes.... this is so true".

I wasn't looking at it from a romantic point of view, although that certainly is one way to look at it. I was looking at it from a self-love point of view.

Self-love is all about falling back in love with the amazing woman you already naturally are, it's about putting yourself first, it's about honouring and respecting you for who you are.

When you invest time into a self-love routine or ritual and you dedicate those precious minutes in your day, every day, to honouring who you are and genuinely loving the person you have become, you'll begin to feel and reap the rewards... and so will those around you.

When you dedicate time to self-love, you become a naturally happier person.

Now I'm not saying every single day you walk around with a grin on your face and song in your heart. We all have off-days and that's perfectly fine.

But when you love yourself, you naturally find the beauty in yourself and you feel at ease with who you are and are happy in your soul. And, if you're having an off-day, self-love can help you raise your vibration so that whatever made you feel low in the first place can be turned around and you can begin to see a glimmer of brightness instead.

When you practise self-love and carry a natural happy vibe around with you, that vibe, that feeling, not only positively impacts you but also touches those around you.

So, not only does self-love give back to you but it also gives to others too.

When you dedicate time to self-love, you put yourself first.

This is not an act of selfishness. Quite the opposite in fact, it's an act of selflessness.

It's that old adage of being in a plane and being told by the cabin crew to fix your own oxygen mask before you fit the mask of others. Why do they say this? Well we need oxygen directed to our brain to think clearly. If you don't fix an oxygen mask to yourself first, you'll lose precious oxygen reaching your brain and this can quickly instill panic and confusion, making it more difficult to fix another's mask.

It's the same with self-love.

Self-love is about loving yourself enough and respecting yourself enough to put yourself first. Before your family, before your friends, before your kids, before your boss. Because if you don't put yourself first you may find that, for example, your health will deteriorate or you'll just burn out. And what use are you to yourself or others when that happens?

When you put yourself first, you are showing yourself (and those around you) that you value your health and well-being, and plan to keep your mind, body and soul in a healthy, balanced place. Because you're healthy and balanced, you'll also have the energy and enthusiasm to help others.

Again, because you're investing in self-love, you reap the rewards but so do those around you who rely on you.

When you truly choose to invest in self-love not only will you find that the more you give, the more you get in return. You'll also find that the more you give, the more others get in return too.

Viv xx