FEBRUARY 2026

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters, 

Repeat after me:

“I LOVE ME!”

“I AM THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE!”

“WHEN I LOVE ME FIRST, I LOVE OTHERS BETTER!”

          We love so many things: people, family, beautiful objects, a sunrise, our home, sports, flowers, travel, art, and more. With all that external love, why is it so difficult for us to love ourselves? We grew up being taught to share, which is good. But also, not to put ourselves first, not to go to the head of the line, not to ask for anything, not to be self-centered, and often, to be seen and not heard. Any of the sound familiar? None of that is valid, except the sharing. If you don't ask, you don’t get. If you always stand back, you will be perceived as aloof , arrogant or disinterested. If you give away your power, you have nothing. To be self-centered means that you know yourself and that you are very grounded. To put yourself first means that you take care of you so that you are better able to take care of others. If you don't take care of you, who will?

     I am sure that you all know someone who wants to be the center of attention, always interrupts to talk about themselves, thinks they are the smartest, doesn’t listen to what others are saying and so on.  That is a self-absorbed person. The irony is that they are often more insecure, and have some deep seeded issues. The person who loves themselves, feels good about who they are, is more balanced, caring, eager to help, and comfortable in their own skin.  That is what we are striving for here. When you love you, you love others better.

DO YOU LOVE YOU?

     If not, why? We are born into truth, uninhibited, with no preconceived ideas. Totally helpless, we rely on others to survive. As we grow, we are told stories by our caregivers, which we then adopt. The stories are a result of a person’s experiences, past memories, and internal beliefs. If they don't love themselves, we feel it. We may not understand what we feel, but we know something is not good. Think about who may have influenced the idea that you could not love you. Then try to recall how they felt about themselves. Maybe your answer is there. My mother was a very untrusting person who didn’t like herself. I once had a counselor who told me that I had taken on her lack of trust. Self-trust, as well as trusting others, is a necessary element in life. Fortunately, I didn’t take on her dislike for herself. I ask, I step up, I share, and I am true to myself.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOU?

   You are a lovable person, but if you dwell on all the negatives every day, you will find all sorts of reasons not to love yourself. Perfection is a myth; don't even go down that path. We all have made mistakes and a few bad choices. And, of course, we have done some really stupid things that keep replaying in our heads like an old broken record. Who hasn't done all of those things? None of this makes you unlovable. I am certain that there are people in your life who have done the above, and you still love them. What would make you think that you are any different? What do you love about you? I love that I write these newsletters and am not afraid to put myself out there. I love to inspire others and make a difference. I love that I care about my appearance and how others perceive me. I love myself.

THE REAL YOU

      Who are you? I am a spiritual being having a human experience who strives to leave the world a better place by inspiring others to love, believe, and trust themselves, to be the best version of themselves, and to be all that they want to be! Do you live against your own truth? Are you a people pleaser who then dislikes yourself for not being true to your beliefs and desires? It happens a lot. When you don’t set boundaries, say no to things you don’t want to do, acquiesce just because someone told you to, you erode your sense of self and begin to dislike you. The next time someone wants you to do something you are truly against, say NO! Or, if you want to do it for them because you care about them, tell them that. Say, “I don’t want to do this, but I will choose to do it because I care about you.” You will feel so much different about you.     

SELF-FORGIVENESS

      Self-forgiveness is the first step to loving you. It's time to forgive you for all your perceived shortcomings. And while you are forgiving yourself, forgive all those who have done things to hurt you. They probably didn't really mean what they did, but were just insensitive. Remember, when people do things to hurt you, it’s because they really don’t like themselves. Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The FOUR AGREEMENTS, says, “Take nothing personally, because it’s not about you.” When you forgive them, you release negative energy that you have held onto. It's not good for you. Let it go! 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

    It’s love, not hate, that makes the world go round. We, in this country, are experiencing a lot of hate. I often wonder if people even know what the hatred is about. Hate drags us down and creates negative energy that pushes people away. If we truly hate something so much, then get rid of it. If it’s something for which you have no control, let it go and focus on love. We are what we think. And, when we dwell on the negative, the negative presents itself more, and others feel it. Think of all the things you love as often as you can.  Not only will you feel better, but also you will rewire your brain to be happier.

TO YOURSELF

      Be your Valentine!  Love you unconditionally! We are all human, do stupid things, and make mistakes. To beat ourselves up over things we can’t change is just useless. Give yourself a break and a hug.  One of the women who comes on my Monday calls, whom I love dearly, once told us about her horrific time in the dentist’s chair and the enormous pain she was in. When she left, instead of saying that the dentist was hurting her, she told herself she was a bad patient. The woman is beautiful, smart, talented, and so caring; beating herself up isn’t necessary. But we all do it. Be kind to you! Do something nice for yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want in every situation. It's Valentine's Day, do something for you! And then look in the mirror and say the following:

“I love you; you’re the very best,

Together we will ace the test.

And when the end of day arrives

You’ll know you have again survived,

Because the friend within your heart,

Was with you from the very start.”

By M.J. Waldock

Click here to read the entire poem

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

      You are all my Valentines. Thank you for taking the time to read these newsletters.  And, for those of you who send me responses, thank you. These are my thoughts about life, and if they touch you in any way, then I am very happy. You are all very special people. May the day of love bring you all that you desire. Sending you love and hugs. 

     Now, go out and buy yourself a Valentine card, a box of candy, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. You are a lovable person!