Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Dec19/Jan20 Aspire Mag FINAL | Page 51

– MARIE BEYNON RAY I love how nurturing this ritual of reflection can be as it supports us in focusing on our strengths, identifying what we have learned, and acknowledging our empowering self- nurturing practices. The questions also encourage us to recognize what we need to let go of in the New Year and to commit to nurturing ourselves in new ways to support our growth. The questions can be reflected upon individually, in your journal, or with your family and friends as a way of cultivating self-nurturing communities where we can give and receive support and accountability around nurturing ourselves. The wisdom you receive from this reflection will guide you in further developing the art of self-nurturing, the ever-evolving practice of listening deeply to what you need and taking inspired action! If you need some new ideas for self-nurturing practices for the New Year, I will share five empowering ways! 1 CHOOSE Kindness Kindness is the salve for the grief and overwhelm so many are experiencing in our world. In truth there is no more healing practice than to treat ourselves and others with kindness. Incorporating kindness into our relationship with ourselves allows us to approach ourselves with compassion, focus on what we can learn from situations, remain open hearted, and transform judgement, criticism, and shame. There is an expansive energy to kindness that is magnetic. Often acts of kindness multiply and create more love, connection, and positivity in the world. One simple act of kindness can change someone’s day or even life. Being a role model for treating ourselves and others with kindness and compassion can create ripple effects of healing in our lives and contributes to making the world a better place. So choose to incorporate kindness into your self-nurturing practice starting with you! 2 Self-Nurturing SCHEDULE TIME FOR This wisdom comes from clients who attended my “Self-Nurturing Through the Holidays” workshop series. I heard consistently that one of the challenges women face around nurturing themselves is how busy their schedule becomes and how easy it is to focus on everyone else’s needs and before their own. If you struggle to find time in your day to nurture yourself, 51 “Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We only have this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake.”