February, the month of love, is everyone’s favorite. It provides that special opportunity to express good feelings all month long. Where to start? With thy self. Read, sing, and enjoy with your child the words of this famous song:
The Greatest Love of All.
The greatest love of all is happening to me.
I found the greatest love of all inside of me.
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve.
Learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all.
I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.
Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride.
— Whitney Houston
February! The Month of the Heart
Even with this well-known song, so popular many years ago, few people know its true meaning. Self-love, not someone else-love, is the “greatest love of all.” It is the unconditional necessary foundation for any and all possible love after that.
Dr Gisell Vina
That is such an inspirational song and it is all about self-love. Until we fully love ourselves we cannot express complete love to another because we mirror in all relationships. Therefore, others will sense that lack of self-love and interpret it as lack of love towards them in the dynamic that is relationship. We truly see ourselves by looking at how we are in relationship with others. Whatever way they are acting towards us is how we have been showing up for them. In shifting our way of being, we can see extraordinary results. For example, if a husband is lacking passion, bring the passion and see what happens. If a child is lacking affection, bring the affection and so on.
dr. sally
Oh Gisell, thank you so very much. Yes, we often view problems our children are having as missing links on their part. You have helped us to realize they are missing from us as well. Your approach is excellent.
Here is the strategy. Check out and then describe what you see as missing. Then add it to the relationship on your end. Here are some common and possible missing links that you can implement:
* Politeness
* Respect (especially the word “please”)
* Appreciation (especially the words “thank you”)
* Humor
* Patience
There are many, many more!
Rosalind Sedacca
Yes, self-love is the most important gift we can give ourselves. Without it we can’t parents properly or role model healthy relationships for our children. Nor can we find a meaningful love relationship in our lives. So it’s vital to do some self-discovery and find out whether you do truly love and value yourself. If not, reach out for professional guidance and support. It will make a huge difference in your life and in the well-being of your children!
sally
Hi Rosalind,
Someone once gave me this advice “To have a friend, be a friend.” This topic makes me think about taking that advice one step further. Start by being your own best friend as a first step in reaching out to others. If you are not nice to yourself, it is very hard to be nice to others.
Rosalind Sedacca
So true. And it very much affects our approach to parenting, as well. Give yourself a break with negative self-talk and give your kids a break with repeated critical comments. Catch them doing some things right and acknowledge that to them. Acknowledge yourself as well for all your efforts day after day. That’s a win-win philosophy!