Loving Your Spiritual Self: Caring for Your Soul

In this last lesson in this module about loving yourself, you’ll learn the importance of loving your spirit.
Filling your spirit with genuine joy is a must if you love yourself. Give yourself time to do only what you love to do. Try refreshing your living space even in small ways from time to time, disengaging from technology periodically, and doing other activities that bring adventure and joy into your life.

Check out these strategies and be inspired to think of still more ways to demonstrate how you care about yourself:

1. Make it a good morning. Take a little time in the morning to do something you really like to do. It might be 45 minutes of yoga to start your day off right. Maybe you’d like to read your favorite novel for 15 minutes before the kids get up. Or perhaps 10 minutes to practice meditation would give you the restful start you need to have a good day.
   • Give yourself the gift of the first few minutes of each morning. Your whole day will be better and your soul will thank you for that little bit of “me time” when you first arise.
2. Indulge. Do a little something special for yourself each and every day. You’ll enjoy life more when you put in the effort to do just that one thing that makes your heart sing. Go ahead and do those activities you think are special, fun or self-indulgent.
   • You can afford 30 minutes to 1 hour every day just for yourself, can’t you? Knowing you deserve it translates into loving yourself.
3. Change your personal space. Making small but meaningful changes in your home truly invigorates your soul. Nothing says “I love myself” like renewing your cherished space in your house.
   • Clean something deeply and well.
   • Throw some things away that weigh you down.
   • Rearrange the furniture in your living room. If you don’t spend much time in your living room, try this in your favorite room, the one in which you hang out the most.
   • Paint.
4. Turn on the tunes. Listen to your music each day for at least 15 minutes. Most phones today have MP3 players or iPods in them.
5. Turn off the gadgets. One day every other week, or even once a month, turn off your cell phone, television and computer.
   • Disconnecting from your technology is a great way to re-connect with your soul.
     
   • Consider how you might spend a whole day away from all your gadgets. Will you take a walk, bake bread from scratch, or have a relaxing afternoon out in your yard? Maybe you’ll spend the day with your father or your niece. Whatever you do with your unplugged time, you’ll feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
6. Allow yourself to feel love from others. Experiencing the loving messages given to you by your family members and cherished friends is good for the soul. For example, when you go out to lunch with your sisters, savor their presence. Take in how they smile and make eye contact with you, or revel in that special silent communication you have.
   • Soak up the love that your cherished friends and family provide by staying emotionally in touch with their compliments or by their presence. Although we are often taught not to accept compliments or take them to heart, they’re good for you, and are given with love. Accepting them is a way of loving yourself.
7. Worship. If you enjoy attending a church, temple, or other place of worship, doing so regularly is good for your soul. If you prefer to pray at home alone, that method of worship will also bring you soulful comfort and demonstrate self-love.
   • Perhaps you seek to discover the “right” place of worship for you. That’s okay, too. Finding your spiritual “home” can be a great adventure in self-love. People who want to worship and are successful in finding the place that fits for them re-fill their souls every time they attend the services or events that are meaningful to them.
   • If you have religion or spirituality that’s meaningful in your life, practice it. Many people report that worshipping simply makes them feel better.
     
   • If you don’t have a spiritual “home,” and feel like something’s missing in your life, visit various kinds of churches or temples to see if you can fill the void and discover what your soul seeks. Whether you go alone or with friends, you’ll have fascinating experiences. And even if you don’t find a place for you, you’ll learn a lot about yourself.
8. Immerse yourself in nature. Make special efforts to experience the joys and beauties of nature. If you’ve ever walked through a pine tree forest, you know the awesome spiritual power inherent in the great outdoors.
   • Whether you put on your snowshoes and tromp off through piles of lovely white fluff or walk along a sandy beach somewhere collecting seashells, find a way to stay involved with nature.
9. Be adventurous. Find that part of you that seeks the unknown and strives for the yet-experienced adventure. Maybe you want to climb a mountain, run a sprint triathlon, or visit the pyramids in Egypt. Whatever your adventuresome spirit seeks, make an effort to provide it in some way. You’ll feel deeply alive and loved when you do.
10. Recognize that time is of the essence. Spend your hours and minutes in ways that demonstrate your self-love. Consider time as precious, golden moments meant to be spent doing the things you love and working toward your life’s goals. Decide to love yourself every single minute of every single day by making each of those moments count.

Taking care of your spiritual self can be done by practicing one or many of these strategies. Anything that brings joy to your soul ultimately demonstrates self-love.

“Your soul is all that you possess. Take it in hand and make something of it!”

– Martin H. Fischer

Now that you know, accept, and love yourself, the next part of your journey to authenticity will let you put it all together and start planning an exciting future by discovering your life purpose.

But first, we’ll take a pause for summary and reflection of this module about loving yourself.

Here’s what you need to do today:

Field trip! Immerse yourself in nature. Take a walk in a nearby park, nature preserve, the mountains, a forest, or a beach. Be mindful of the nature around you. How does it make you feel? How can you include more time in nature as part of your regular schedule?