Inside out

When one is a stranger to oneself, then one is estranged from others, too.
--Anne Morrow Lindbergh

There's a person inside each of us just itching to be known and loved. But if we don't get to know and love that person, how can we expect anyone else to know us?

That's why it's so important to spend time alone getting acquainted with ourselves. And how do we do that? We can sit quietly with ourselves, thinking and listening. Then we can write our thoughts in a journal, or we can draw or paint them. If we play a musical instrument, we can put our thoughts and feelings into music.

When we make the time and effort to know ourselves, it encourages others to want to know us, too. Since everything we do and feel begins inside us, we must feel good about ourselves in order to feel good about anything else. What wonders we are, that we have all the power we need to make our world a happy one!

How do I feel about myself today?

[charisma_48423]

Thank you doug!!!!! I was spending a lot of time last night thinking about that.....we talk about wasted time.....time that we could have been with "loved" ones....etc...I know that my M.O. is to remove myself and retreat when stressed....I become a hermit...I used to do it with friends, and then eventually I did it with my own self.....lately, I have been thinking that I miss my "ME" time...I used to LIKE myself....I used to feel comfortable with myself (why do I not consider MYSELF a LOVED one?) I started thinking that,for me, it would be a big part of my own healing just to begin to make an effort to spend time getting to know myself again...learning to love myself again, if that makes sense...i know that i can be VERY forgiving and non-judgemental of others....then why can't I do it for myself as well......(if I do not feel that I am lovable and worthy of happiness, then I don't know how I could find the strength to fight this monster of my addiction)..... I have a painting that i did over my fireplace, and yesterday my daughter was looking at it and said to me, "MOM ,you should be an artist"...i was amazed as I looked at it with brand new eyes....i used to sit in contentment late at night and talk to the "me" that I was comfortable with in my alone time...i used to be creative...i used to paint...i used to read...i used to THINK...think about poetry, chemistry, cooking, gardening, travel, cultures, cars, music, math, movies......EVERYTHING...and now, I am so used to drinking myself into oblivion that I have lost the ability to find pleasure in the little things....in ANYTHING....I have not only isolated myself from the people that i love most in my life, I've isolated myself from "me"....I know that it was a slow road here and it will be a very slow road back, but if i want to get better, I must learn to be a friend to myself again...I am NOT willing to give up, although some days i think it would be easier....I have 3 beautiful children that I adore.....they deserve a mommy that is whole and happy, .....i believe that it would be a healthy start for my recovery to begin anew starting with making friends again with my inner self......