Healing Begins Within

Spring invites us to clean; to open windows, sweep corners, and clear what's accumulated. Fresh air rushes in, and suddenly we see it: dust bunnies swirling in the sunlight. Our instinct is to grab the broom and sweep them away. But what if we paused instead? What if we asked: What is this dust? Where did it come from? What might it be trying to teach us?"

Photo by imsogabriel stock on Unsplash

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I Am Done Being Fixed

Dust,
Dirt,
Friend or foe?

Swirling,
Tumbling,
Swaying around,

Visible,
Invisible,
Encompassing.

Above us, below us,
And in between,
Lurking mysteriously everywhere.

Do I keep you,
Or toss you away?

I wonder when we’ll meet again?

Until I witness the dance of light,
how each flake carries what’s breaking down,

Not debris to discard,

But matter in transition,

Finding its way back to Earth. 

I am done being fixed;
I am learning to heal.

They call it dirt;
I call it becoming:

In the soil, patience without pressure, 

Roots seek their way,
Trusting what’s happening beneath the surface,
Where the seeds know without trying.

What grows in the dark
Is not just survival,
But a vibrant blossoming.

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The poem speaks to a feeling we all experience: standing before what's accumulated, wanting to sort, judge, and sweep it all away. But dust and soil are kin. One is nuisance; the other, nourishment. The real difference isn’t in what they are, but in whether we're willing to trust the breaking down..

Healing is about something different from fixing. It doesn’t ask us to sort through our mess and decide what to keep or throw away. Instead, it encourages us to trust what happens when we stop trying to control everything and simply allow.Like soil that regenerates not through intervention but through patient decomposition, we don’t need to be rebuilt. We just need to remember that we're already whole, already becoming.

Learning to See Yourself

March brings longer days and the first green shoots peeking through the soil, a yearly reminder that renewal isn’t just for nature. As the world wakes up around us, we’re invited to tend our own inner gardens.

Spring's energy invites us inward as much as outward. Just as we clear winter's dust from our homes, we can release emotional clutter and make space for what wants to grow.

In a world obsessed with appearances and external validation, we often overlook the gifts we already possess: true beauty lies within. This poem serves as an invitation to shift our focus from seeking external approval to honoring our authentic selves. 

                                                    Photo by Sagar Kulkarni on Unsplash

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Mirror, mirror on the wall…….

Will I ever be beautiful enough? 

Or maybe lovable enough?

I just never learned to notice and appreciate 

ALL the beautiful things about myself.

I wanted to be beautiful, more desperately, 

wanted to feel loved; 

So don’t judge me by my parts; 

I’m too busy cataloging my 

weaknesses, mistakes, 

and flaws to recognize myself. 

Learning to witness the voice inside my head. 

To notice when unhelpful thoughts arrive, 

And shift my focus away from worry.

What if?

What if our beauty rested in 

simply being who we are, 

with the face and body we own, 

and joyfully embracing that every day.

What if it was okay to have flaws, 

not only okay but actually celebrated.

And the reality is, I am imperfect. 

We all are. We all have scars, inside and out, 

and we all have moments of weakness and self-doubt. 

More questions than answers.

Joy and beauty are everywhere, 

in everything, in every one of us; 

no matter how we look, 

and no matter how we may hurt temporarily; 

Grace is beauty in motion.

If I could truly see the woman in the window, 

I'd see someone fully alive. 

That's who I really am.”

For me, beauty is being who I am; 

I am me; I am just me!

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This journey from self-doubt to self-acceptance isn't linear, it’s daily practice, seasonal work. As Khalil Gibran so eloquently reminds, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” As the world awakens this March, I encourage you to ask yourself: What would shift if you embraced your beauty, not in spite of your flaws, but because of your complete self? What could grow from that acceptance?

Opening Your Heart to Love

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

Imagine standing at the edge of a breathtaking vista, your heart fully open, ready to let love flow into every part of your being. Picture yourself radiating confidence, completely at ease with vulnerability. From this openness flows the capacity to truly listen, understand, accept, and forgive. 

The thought of allowing love in often stirs a whirlwind of emotions; excitement mixed with fear. Love isn’t something you find “out there”; it’s a magnificent, infinite wellspring within us all.

Regardless of your upbringing or external circumstances, the power to welcome love lies solely within you. No one can give you more love than you are willing to accept. Imagine your heart as a vessel; if you’ve closed yourself off, even the most generous love can’t penetrate your defenses. Your heart’s capacity for love starts with your willingness to receive it, first from yourself, and then from others. 

“Love yourself—accept yourself—forgive yourself—and be good to yourself, because without you, the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.”    ~Leo F. Buscaglia. 

This wisdom serves as a reminder: you are a source of incredible potential and beauty waiting to be shared.

The Journey of Self-Love

Opening your heart to yourself can be intimidating. Often, we create barriers by refusing to acknowledge our true selves. Instead of being authentic, we judge and criticize ourselves, striving for unrealistic ideals.

How often do you perceive something as wrong when you experience emotions like anger or loneliness? “I shouldn’t feel this way. What’s wrong with me?” Take a moment to reflect. How often do you hear this inner dialogue echoing in your mind? 

These judgments create barriers that prevent love from entering. When we label or dismiss our feelings as wrong, we reject parts of ourselves, and love cannot thrive in such rejection. But what if we approached ourselves and love with more gentleness?

Embracing Our Humanity

Love, like us, is messy and imperfect. It may not always be patient or kind, and doubts can creep in. We may snap at the people we care about, feel jealous, or withdraw when hurt. However, falling into guilt or shame for being human is where love falters. Instead, what if we could recognize our flaws with compassion? By accepting our own messiness, we naturally extend that compassion to others, opening the door to deeper, more honest connections. 

Love as Practice 

Love is a gift we give, but it’s also something we actively practice. It takes effort and intention. Each day, we must choose to show up, forgive, and open our hearts, regardless of how others treat us. We can decide to love even when it’s not returned. Love grows when we let our compassion flow freely, without expecting anything in return.

Close your eyes and visualize how you want love to feel and show up in your life. Imagine it wrapping around you like a warm hug, expressed through laughter, tenderness, and special moments.

Opening your heart to love, starting with yourself, is one of the bravest and most transformative choices you can make. It won’t be easy, but it will always be worth it. The love you seek is already within you, waiting for your permission to flourish. 

Here's what this practice looks like in my own life

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Relationship of One

I love myself, but sometimes…I feel rejected, 

inadequate, not enough.

So I turned inward and lost my way—
judgment, self-loathing, criticism,
playing the same old song on repeat.

But my past caught up with me —
time to stop running, time to face myself…

Love and appreciation for who I am —
I healed my wounds and stepped back out.

Sometimes I slip; I’m only human.

Love, Connect, Grow, Become;

No matter what happens, I am enough.
When I mess up, when doubts whisper: I am enough!.

I shift my focus, claim my truth; I am enough.

Take a risk: Be Me! Trust Me! Accept Me! Love Me!

Here I am, strong, kind, uniquely me,
ready to celebrate connections.
Happy Heart’s Day to me! A Relationship of One.
Loving Me, Being Me.

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The journey to loving ourselves is rarely straightforward. We stumble, judge ourselves, we run from our own truth. But when we finally turn around and face ourselves with compassion, everything shifts. This Valentine’s Day, I’m celebrating the relationship that matters most; the one I have with myself. Happy Heart’s Day to you, too; wherever you are on your own journey home.