What is Feeding You?

I AM SAFE.

I AM LOVED.

I AM FREE.

I AM.

Now, repeat those same affirmations again with power and authority.

Say them again ALOUD while looking at yourself in the mirror.

The self-care process has continued.

Today, thus far, what have you allowed in your body, mind, soul, and spirit? Because you are a spirit being first, everything that you allow impacts your entire self–the whole YOU.

If you don’t believe me, let’s think.

Food. What happens when you don’t eat?  Your body becomes sluggish. The mind cannot operate to its highest potential; your ability to process slows down. The Golden Rule–treat people how you wish to be treated–flies out the window because your spirit is easily irritable. Help us Jesus. Now, the soul becomes a little cluttered and loses its pureness, not just because of the lack of food, but because of the interdependency and intersectionality of YOU processing the profound hunger.

How are you caring for each part of you daily?

What are you feeding your mind?
Mind: Thoughts and understandings

What are you feeding your body?
Body: Physical parts and emotion

What are you feeding your spirit?
Spirit: Heart (Life-force)

What are you feeding your soul?
Soul: The very essence of you.

Let’s think about one of Jesus’ commandments: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Mark 12:31). Also, globally known as the Golden Rule.

When we don’t truly love ourselves and don’t know our worth, it’s truly difficult to follow that commandment. Our perspective becomes our reality, and the reality is we are trying to offer love when we are not giving it to ourselves.

So, what are we feeding ourselves?

For example, today I chose to feed my:

Mind: My daily affirmations and scripture ingestion

Body: Exercise, Sleep, and Eat Healthy for me (My diet consists of mainly plant-based, but I do eat eggs). **Noticed, I said “For me.” Every diet isn’t for everyone, but healthy eating is for everyone.

Soul: Daily meditation. Devotionals. Prayer.

Spirit: Music (India Arie “Just Do You” and “Thy Will Be Done,” Whitney Houston’s “Step by Step remix” and worship music). Talking with my siblings on the phone. Setting boundaries for today. (I chose peace). Commune with God throughout the day.

In addition to the good feeding, unintentionally, I fed myself critical judgment. I began judging myself and that led to me judging others. I became aware of it. Forgave myself and extended grace.

You may think that “my feeding” took a long time, but it really didn’t. Honestly, we do most of these things without realizing it. Self-care has become a habit for me because it is essential for living my best life that is destined and purposed by God. However, it has not always been a habit or that easy.

Now, your order may vary, or you may place different pieces in various categories. However, the point is being conscious of what you allow into YOU and YOUR space. It takes intentional effort and keen awareness. Everyday will not be the same. Some days, you may feel like you have 10 minutes of self-care and other days, you may have 1 hour. It will be different for everyone. The key is not to have a magic formula; the key is to find what works for you and be intentional.

Try now

Maybe, today you could make the choice to be aware of what enters your mind only. Try that for a while. Practice renewing your mind daily with positive affirmations, healthy conversations, your religious text, prayers, etc. Set your mind up for success at the start of the day.

Then, you may want to move on to being aware of your body. Do you get constant headaches? When do those headaches occur? Are you constantly stressed? When do you feel the tension? What are you doing at those times? Being aware is being present. Learn to know your body. Is it stiff? Are you always upset? What are you eating?

Also, you may find yourself great at noticing your thoughts and body, but do not understand how to change your thought pattern. Tackle the spirit part of you. Remember, everything is connected. God created everything in connection to Him/Her.

Additionally, it’s a process; there is no finish line. There is no competition. It’s all a part of BECOMING.

Stay tuned for the next Meditation Monday in which we focus on an aspect of personal growth or self-care here on this blog.

Please comment below on what you will do today or this week to feed your mind, body, spirit, and soul.

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