I've been holding on to some things to share here on the blog, and today feels like a good day to share this particular inspirational gem, below. I hope it speaks to some of you in a way that brings about a deeper love for yourself. Many times I have a feeling, based on emails I receive, that I love some of you more than you love yourselves (and I deeply love all of you). That's okay, though. Your time will come to blossom into the self-loving individual that you know you are at your core. Perhaps today what I share will trigger a deeper sense of self-love for you, as it did for another friend.

Back in October, a friend in an online raw community sent me a message about how she was having a tough time with cravings. I responded to her, as follows:

... You CAN do it, too! For me, it took finally loving myself to make the change. I had to KNOW that NOTHING was going to stop me from loving myself. And loving myself meant never putting harmful things into my body EVER AGAIN! So, once I made that decision, I moved forward. I'm not saying I didn't have cravings, but I loved myself through them! ...

Many times in the online communities, the messages you share with others will also be read by individuals stopping by the pages of your friends. That was the case with what I wrote, above. I received a lovely message from another friend in that community, who had read the message I left for someone else. Here's what she wrote to me:

Hi, Wendi~

I just had to jump on over here to your page & tell you 2 things...one, your video was phenomenal!!! [Note: If you haven't seen my life-changing, inspirational video, please click here.] It really spoke to my heart on many levels, & inspired me, & refocussed me!!!

& #2, I just read your comment on [another] page, & something you said really jumped out at me & hit me like a mac truck! You were talking about realizing that loving yourself meant coming to a place of deciding to NEVER put things that are harmful into your body again....

...wow! Did I ever need to hear that!!! It instantly made me realize that I've justified unhealthy food consumption, even knowing better, by thinking of it as a TREAT! A special little diversion from "boring' health food!!! Even though deep down I prefer, (& so does my body, & it's let me know in a million ways!!!) the yummy raw stuff, it's the past emotional ties to eating sugar, canned things, take-out, etc. that have keep me goin' back & forth...& what you wrote just freed me in an instant! It just CLICKED, & boom, the magnetic pull was BROKEN!!!!

So thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!!! & I want to ask you to write more about this, it's something EVERYONE needs to fully & totally understand!!! & your living it out daily is a wonderful example to us of the freedom from emotional eating that can LAST with that decision being made!!!!

Wow. So simple, yet so powerful!!!

You are a Godsend to ALL of us ... but especially to me, today!

Hugs of gratitude,

~Anastazia~

Anastazia fully understood what I was saying. I think the way she used what I said with an example from her own way of thinking can be quite powerful for many of you who read this. Thank you, Anastazia, for allowing me to share what you wrote.

Are you struggling with cravings? If so, look deep within yourself. Do you love yourself? I know for me, my answer would have been, "No, I don't love myself," a few years ago.And do you know what ?At that time it would have felt right to say "no" because I felt that loving myself was being selfish or conceited. I didn't want to be either of those things.

I was raised so that I wouldn't "get a big head" [meaning being self-centered or conceited]. If I did something worthy of praise, there had to be a balance of criticism mixed in to keep my "head from getting too big." I wasn't the only one raised that way. I've received countless letters saying similar things.

Well, guess what happened when I finally broke free from that kind of thinking? I started to love myself, and I started to have more confidence in what I was saying and doing (still working on this one). Is my head too big, now? When you look at me, hear me talk, or read my words do you think I'm self-centered and conceited?

I don't know why self love and a sense of confidence was seen as such a negative trait while I was growing up. From all that I've experienced after learning to love myself, I have become even more loving and caring to others (which is remarkable, really, since my entire life I mostly cared only for others and never myself). Somehow loving myself has allowed me to love others even more (good for you and good for me, too!). So, don't be afraid to begin loving yourself if it's something completely new to you. Once you begin truly caring for yourself, loving yourself unconditionally, you'll be able to love those around you even more.

You can LOVE your cravings away! There's no more fighting against what you DON'T want (junk/cooked food)---there's immense LOVE for what you DO want (a healthy self)!

I love all of you, and I hope you love yourselves, as well!

Wendi

XOXOXO