Hi,
Everyone.
My name is Linda G.
Robert.
And I'd like to share something that's changed the way that I look at self-care,
That I look at self-love.
It changes the whole way that I actually think about these two very important subjects.
When we hear the words self-care.
Most of us.
Think about things like meditation,
Which I do a lot of.
We think about relaxing baths.
We think about going for a massage.
We think about journaling.
Which I do.
And we think about spending time in nature and of course there are so many other ways that we define self-care and self-love.
And all of these are all wonderful ways to care for ourselves.
But over the years,
I've realized that one of the ways that I care for myself.
Is by traveling.
Now,
I didn't always see it that way.
I didn't always view traveling as a form of self-care.
I kind of grew into that because for the very longest time,
Travel was simply something that I enjoyed.
And most of the trips that I had taken.
Were with,
You know,
Other people were with.
Friends.
And were with some family members.
And they were all great places,
Places that I loved discovering.
They were all places that I experienced,
You know,
Something very different.
And there were places that created a lot of great memories with my friends and with family members.
But there was one day.
I realized something.
I realized that.
I wanted to start traveling.
On my own.
I wanted to start.
Solo traveling.
I wanted to say yes.
To me.
I wanted to decide where I traveled to.
And I realized that every time.
Every time I booked a trip.
On my own.
I was actually doing something much bigger.
Than just planning a vacation.
It became.
A yes to me?
It became.
An act of self-care and self-love.
It was saying to me,
I matter.
I was saying,
It's okay.
For me to take time for myself.
And sometimes.
That means.
Taking a weekend,
Right?
Taking a weekend away.
Just because I need a break,
Just because I've had a busy week.
I want to take a break from my routine.
I want to take a break from work.
And sometimes it means taking a longer trip.
Because I really want to experience something that I wouldn't just experience on a weekend.
For example,
I want to experience something more cultural,
Maybe I want to experience more learning.
Maybe I want to challenge myself.
More in a very different way.
So travel gives me space.
Gave me space over the years,
Space to think.
Reflect.
Space to breathe.
In some cases,
And spaces,
Space to really remember who I am.
When I'm not.
Taking care of everyone else.
Or simply when I'm moving like from one.
.
.
Responsibility to the next responsibility to the next responsibility.
Who am I?
Really,
Who am I?
And that's when I began to seek travel very,
Very differently.
I realized that It wasn't just something that I did.
To explore.
A new country,
For example.
It was one of the ways.
That I practiced.
Self-love.
It was one of the ways that I practiced self-care.
Because saying yes.
To me,
To myself.
Often means.
Setting boundaries.
Right,
It means protecting my time.
It means giving myself.
Permission.
To invest in.
Me to invest in experiences.
That nourish.
Me.
That nourish the different parts of who I am.
And isn't that what self-care really is about?
It is,
It is as far as I'm concerned.
So making choices.
That support our well-being.
Is self-care,
Is self-love.
Now,
I'm not suggesting.
To everyone.
To start traveling.
And I'm not suggesting that everyone needs to travel.
Because self-care looks different for all of us.
We all have our own definition of what self-care is.
And for you,
It might be painting a picture.
You know,
Spending time by yourself painting or gardening.
I've loved that too.
Hiking,
I do a lot of that too.
Spending time with friends.
Yes,
I enjoy that too.
Or simply.
.
.
Sitting quietly with a cup of tea.
I do that too,
But I drink more coffee than tea.
So the important question really isn't,
Should I travel?
No,
The question that I want you to be thinking about that I invite you to consider is What helps me?
Come back to me.
What helps me come back to myself?
What types of activities would I need to do to come back to who I am?
What fills me up?
Instead of what drains me.
What experience leaves me.
Feeling more alive.
I know for me when I travel,
I feel alive.
For me,
Travel is one of those things.
When I travel,
I feel alive.
I do a lot of reflecting.
And that helps me to put things in perspective.
It reminds me,
Really,
That the world is changing.
Bigger than my worries,
Much bigger than my worries.
When I travel,
It reminds me that I can adapt,
That I can learn.
And that I can grow.
And perhaps.
Most importantly.
It reminds me that I'm worthy.
Saying yes.
So today,
I'd simply invite you to reflect on this.
What is one thing?
That you've been quietly longing to do.
For you,
For just you,
Not for your family,
Not for your spouse,
Not for your parents,
Not for anyone,
But just you.
Not because someone else expects it.
Not because You've earned it.
It or you're worthy of it.
But simply because.
This,
Whatever that is for you,
Would bring you joy.
Makes you feel happy.
And sometimes self-love.
Begins with one small decision.
That's it.
One simple,
Yes,
I'm doing this for me.
That one,
Yes.
Can change.
Far more than we ever imagined.
So have you been saying?
Know to a lot of things and really wanted to say yes to certain things that you really want to do.
I want you to think about that.
And thank you so much for spending time with me today.
