February is relationship month and has Valentine’s Day right in the middle of it. A time to give love to those special people in our lives. But a prerequisite to loving others is to love ourselves first. As women, we can be very hard on ourselves; no need to make a list, we all know them. But we need to refuse those negative thoughts and replace them with a beautiful picture of ourselves and make a new list.
The Bible verse that I like to remember is in Proverbs:
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Proverbs 3:15
I cherish my relationships and realize with each passing day the importance of keeping love in them. Below are a few tips that I find helpful, and I hope they help you, too.
1. Be a confident woman. As women of faith, we can trust God to guide and direct us. Proverbs 3:5 &6
2. Having a good attitude ourselves will help our relationships. If you have an A-type personality like I do, you may get a bit uptight, stressed out and anxious if things get a bit chaotic, so you may need to work a little bit harder to stay at peace.
3. Be happy within yourself. There is no need to think that when your circumstances get better your attitude will change. At these times we have a choice and the healthy choice is to change our attitudes and get a peaceful heart.
Staying peaceful when others do not treat us right, when problems arise that are out of our control, when we are waiting for something to happen, or when everything around us seems to be against us is a challenge. The quickest way for me to change this is by using Bible verses alongside aromatherapy with essential oils and music. Then I feel at peace again and can move on more calmly.
4. Regardless of circumstances, decide that you are going to enjoy your life. Do you ever have thoughts like this? If I could just change, if you could just change, if my circumstances could just change, then I would be happy? Life is too short to be controlled by our circumstances. Easier said than done, you say. Yes, sometimes it seems that way, but it’s possible!
At the start of the New Year, I really like to come up with a plan for the new year for myself, one or two things that I would really like to accomplish personally. I like new beginnings. New beginnings give me a new excitement, things to look forward to. Change is coming and I’m looking forward to it. This helps me enjoy my life.
