Sometimes I feel like I have multiple personality disorder, because I have so many different "selves." While, yes, I have many different roles---I'm a wife, a mom, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an employee, a small business owner---what I'm talking about here are the different aspects of my personality; my interests, desires and needs. Who are these selves? Here's a sampling: - I have an inner fashionista who loves beautiful clothes, putting on a dress and heels, getting made-up and playing all versions of adult dress-up.
- I'm a spiritual seeker, who loves praying, talking to God, and connecting with others.
- I'm an earth Mother, who makes her own baby wipes, births at home, homeschools, cooks organic food from scratch, recycles, and loves reading about alternative health and nutrition.
- I'm an athlete---a runner---who thrills from pushing her body through a challenging workout, or testing herself in a race.
- I have an inner minimalist, who craves quiet, serenity, peace, and order.
- I'm a foodie who loves cooking and relishing a delicious meal.
- I'm a HGTV-wannabe who loves a pretty environment, an organized closet, and, yes, even labeled kitchen jars.
Now it's your turn. Who are your various selves? Make a list. Now, think about your body: does it express your personality? Does your clothing, your style of dress, your home, and your environment honor these needs? Do you honor these selves with your time? How can you integrate the many aspects of your personality into your life? You get 24 hours anew, everyday: a gift. Use that gift to express the greatest measure of your being. Use that gift to express your truest self---or selves. This is living the mind-body-spirit connection: using your body as a means to express your spirit and your mind. It's how you manifest your spirit in your daily life. Too many women look at a day as one giant to-do list: I need to exercise; I have to go to the grocery store; the house needs cleaning. Living like this way feels deadening. Drab. Dull. Lifeless. Contrast that approach with integrating your selves with your to-do list. So exercise becomes an avenue for expressing your inner yogi when you take 30 minutes to do a home yoga routine. Grocery shopping becomes an outlet for your foodie, a quest for an exciting meal. Housecleaning is what calms and soothes your inner housekeeper (She's the part of you that loves the sight of a clean home, an organized pantry, and a beautifully set dinner table.) If you have an inner dancer, do you take her out dancing? If you're an artist, do you use your body and your clothing as a platform for your creativity? Do you use your hands to draw, to paint, to collage? Do you honor your spirit with jewelry or clothing that speaks to your faith? Do you fold your hands in prayer? Does your inner athlete have opportunities to compete, to feel strong, to push herself? Sometimes, I feel like my many different selves are like bickering siblings, all trying to compete for my attention, love, and time. They all want to be counted. They all want an outlet: in my life. I can operate from a scarcity mentality---where only one aspect of myself has permission to shine---or I can come from a foundation of abundance---where all aspects of myself are allowed to express themselves. There's enough "me" to go around. I can be an athlete, a fashion hound, a minimalist, a spiritual seeker, and an Earth mother. I don't have to pick and choose. But I don't have to be all of those things at the same time. Instead, I integrate each part of myself into my daily life. My athlete feels nourished when I go out for my daily run; my fashionista feels fulfilled when I take an extra 30 minutes to shower, style my hair, and pick out a stylish outfit; my minimalist feels heard when I keep my closet tidy and organized. When I honor the many aspects of my personality, when I express them in my dress, my body, and in my home, I'm filled with joy. After all, I'm honoring what gives me pleasure. I'm also protecting myself from self-sabotage: when I don't express my many selves, they get a bit cranky, like a child that throws a tantrum to get noticed. More importantly, expressing my personality is what makes me me. No one else has the unique combination of selves that I do. No one else quite expresses them in the way that I do. Isn't that a beautiful, wonderful thing; something worth celebrating, something worth sharing with the world, in daily acts of intention?
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Sometimes I feel like I have multiple personality disorder, because I have so many different "selves." While, yes, I have many different roles---I'm a wife, a mom, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an employee, a small business owner---what I'm talking about here are the different aspects of my personality; my interests, desires and needs. Who are these selves? Here's a sampling:
Now it's your turn. Who are your various selves? Make a list. Now, think about your body: does it express your personality? Does your clothing, your style of dress, your home, and your environment honor these needs? Do you honor these selves with your time?
How can you integrate the many aspects of your personality into your life? You get 24 hours anew, everyday: a gift. Use that gift to express the greatest measure of your being. Use that gift to express your truest self---or selves. This is living the mind-body-spirit connection: using your body as a means to express your spirit and your mind. It's how you manifest your spirit in your daily life.
Too many women look at a day as one giant to-do list: I need to exercise; I have to go to the grocery store; the house needs cleaning. Living like this way feels deadening. Drab. Dull. Lifeless. Contrast that approach with integrating your selves with your to-do list. So exercise becomes an avenue for expressing your inner yogi when you take 30 minutes to do a home yoga routine. Grocery shopping becomes an outlet for your foodie, a quest for an exciting meal. Housecleaning is what calms and soothes your inner housekeeper (She's the part of you that loves the sight of a clean home, an organized pantry, and a beautifully set dinner table.)
If you have an inner dancer, do you take her out dancing? If you're an artist, do you use your body and your clothing as a platform for your creativity? Do you use your hands to draw, to paint, to collage? Do you honor your spirit with jewelry or clothing that speaks to your faith? Do you fold your hands in prayer? Does your inner athlete have opportunities to compete, to feel strong, to push herself?
Sometimes, I feel like my many different selves are like bickering siblings, all trying to compete for my attention, love, and time. They all want to be counted. They all want an outlet: in my life. I can operate from a scarcity mentality---where only one aspect of myself has permission to shine---or I can come from a foundation of abundance---where all aspects of myself are allowed to express themselves. There's enough "me" to go around. I can be an athlete, a fashion hound, a minimalist, a spiritual seeker, and an Earth mother. I don't have to pick and choose. But I don't have to be all of those things at the same time.
Instead, I integrate each part of myself into my daily life. My athlete feels nourished when I go out for my daily run; my fashionista feels fulfilled when I take an extra 30 minutes to shower, style my hair, and pick out a stylish outfit; my minimalist feels heard when I keep my closet tidy and organized.
When I honor the many aspects of my personality, when I express them in my dress, my body, and in my home, I'm filled with joy. After all, I'm honoring what gives me pleasure. I'm also protecting myself from self-sabotage: when I don't express my many selves, they get a bit cranky, like a child that throws a tantrum to get noticed. More importantly, expressing my personality is what makes me me. No one else has the unique combination of selves that I do. No one else quite expresses them in the way that I do. Isn't that a beautiful, wonderful thing; something worth celebrating, something worth sharing with the world, in daily acts of intention?