Contrary to popular belief, and/or what you may see on Instagram self-love isn’t all bubble baths but a profound and transformative journey of cultivating a deep sense of love, compassion, and acceptance for ourselves, which ultimately leads to a transformative shift in our lives.
In this episode, I speak with Tri Nuraini who is a Life & Executive Coach and shares a tone of wisdom and practical steps that can help us on our self-love and personal growth journey.
We begin by discussing the importance of being present in the moment. We discuss that true self-love begins with the practice of mindfulness, where we consciously bring our awareness to the present moment and fully immerse ourselves in our thoughts, emotions, and sensations. This state of presence, allows us to develop a deeper understanding and connection with all parts of ourselves, increase self-awareness, and pave the way for profound personal growth. It allows us to connect with and start to accept the “good” and the “ugly” which self-love is all about!
Gratitude emerges as a powerful tool in the self-love journey. Tri believes that being grateful and appreciating the blessings, abundance, and positive aspects of our lives, as well as the not-so-good stuff is vital. She suggests various gratitude practices, such as using a gratitude journal, creating gratitude lists, or engaging in daily gratitude meditations to be some of the most popular and transformative amongst her clients. It’s through consciously focusing on the things we’re grateful for that we can shift our perspective from lack to abundance, from negativity to positivity, and open ourselves up to experiencing profound self-love and contentment.
Self-acceptance is another crucial aspect of the self-love journey. We discuss how we can embrace our true authentic selves, accepting both the light and shadow within. Tri encourages us to let go of self-judgment, comparison, and the need for perfection. Instead, we focus our efforts on practising self-compassion and understanding that imperfections and mistakes are an inherent part of the human experience. Through self-acceptance, we can cultivate a deep sense of love and compassion towards ourselves and build a strong foundation for personal growth and transformation.
Self-acceptance often requires forgiveness which is easier said than done. Most of us have a hard time forgiving ourselves for past mistakes or regrets, I mean what’s that all about? Don’t worry though, as Tri shares some powerful techniques, such as mirror work or writing forgiveness letters to ourselves, to help with the healing and self-forgiveness process. Forgiveness practices, such as these can help us release self-judgment, guilt, and resentment and create space for self-compassion and self-forgiveness to flourish. The act of forgiveness allows us to fully accept and move on from the past and embrace our journey moving forward with the knowledge that mistakes are opportunities for growth and learning.
Throughout our conversation, Tri repeatedly shares how the path to self-love is not linear but rather a continuous, evolving journey. It’s important that we are patient and gentle with ourselves, and recognise that self-love requires ongoing commitment and practice. The practices shared can help with this when we include them in our daily lives and over time will lead to a profound shift in our relationship with ourselves and cultivate a deep sense of self-love, self-compassion, and inner peace.
Overall, Tri reminds us what the self-love journey is all about. It’s about cultivating presence, practising gratitude, embracing self-acceptance, and engaging in forgiveness so that we can unlock our potential, experience profound personal growth, and live a more authentic, fulfilling, and peaceful life.
