You are unique,
You are one of a kind,
You are deeply loved and you do deserve to be valued.
Things are complex,
In all of our lives,
Relationships,
Work,
Family dynamics,
There are things we can't change,
And there are things we can't change at the moment,
So we might be able to make some changes in the long term,
But at the moment we're in a situation where we maybe have to put up with certain things,
However,
In other areas,
We might be able to make some changes or some adjustments.
The first step is acknowledging where there are things which really don't serve us,
So I'd like us to sit together for maybe a minute or so,
A bit more,
Just thinking about areas in your life where you might get a sense of negativity or hostility,
Remembering that these are not one-off feelings or occasional,
But this is what it's always like in relation to these people,
Environments,
Circumstances,
Perhaps you feel drained or depleted after certain interactions,
Or,
You know when you get that one where you have to psych yourself up every single time to engage with certain people or engage in certain environments,
Just scanning,
Without any judgement,
Without any judgement,
We're all doing the best we can on this journey we call life,
So without any judgement,
Thinking through your own life and just acknowledging if there are any areas where you feel like that.
These feelings are messengers and we'd be wise not to ignore them,
We might not be able to do anything about it,
But we'd be wise not to ignore the messages,
Because the impact of the people,
Places,
Environments,
Scenarios that you thought through on your health,
On your precious well-being is real and significant,
Especially if it's happening over time.
This isn't about dramatic exits or cutting people off,
As I said life is complex,
Some situations can't be changed right now for really valid reasons,
So perhaps just taking a moment now to breathe into this complexity with compassion for yourself.
Lovely,
Now I'd like you to imagine spaces,
Scenarios,
Environments,
Where you're respected for who you are,
Where you're welcome,
Where you feel nurtured and supported,
Where connection comes naturally and with ease,
And where you can breathe,
Where you can let your shoulders down and breathe.
This is love as a verb,
So not necessarily romantic love and not sunshine and roses but real support and acknowledgement,
Not tolerance but genuine appreciation for who you are and welcoming who you are,
Respecting who you are,
So perhaps pausing now to visualise,
To bring to life anything that comes to mind where you feel like you're valued,
Accepted,
Supported,
Loved.
By acknowledging and being honest with yourself about where love in this sense is absent,
You create space to open yourself up to and acknowledge and recognise where it actually does exist.
You allow yourself to be open to opportunities,
Environments in which you can flourish,
But that might not be in line with your usual patterns,
So you might not find love with the people or types of people you usually engage with,
With the environments that you usually or habitually frequent.
What if the places where you flourish and the people that might support you to flourish aren't traditionally where you've looked?
Can you be open to that?
Can you be open in your life to new places,
People,
Experience,
Environments?
The reason I ask these questions is because I want you,
I want us to,
As far as possible,
And it isn't always possible,
To go where we're loved,
And we don't know where that might be,
We don't know who that might be.
So as we close this reflection,
Perhaps set an intention to notice where you feel most alive,
Most yourself,
Most at peace.
These are the places where you're loved,
And over time,
With gentle awareness and openness and some brave choices maybe,
The balance of your life can shift towards love,
Towards fertile ground in which you flourish.
So I want you to remember this simple,
Simple message as you go throughout today,
Tomorrow,
The rest of your days.
Go where you're loved,
As far as possible,
And it's not always possible,
But as far as possible,
Go where you are loved.
Thank you so,
So much for practicing with me today.
