by Lisa Cybaniak
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Are you loving yourself? I mean, really and truly, do you love, respect and accept all parts of yourself, including the bad?
Today we’re talking about holding up a mirror and looking into it, perhaps for the first time. Allowing yourself to see who you are, why you do what you do, what you need, what drives you and what’s stopping you from getting the help you need is the key to loving yourself.
Gloria Ward is a Teacher, Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Author, and founder of the I’m Loving Me Project, where she helps women worldwide to love themselves and their lives, without judgement.
Meet Gloria Ward
Gloria understands the role true self-reflection plays in loving yourself. At first, Gloria didn’t realise her childhood was traumatic. That is, until she was divorced, with no support, and in counselling after her second DUI offence, facing jail time.
Like most, Gloria had spent so much time being the person that everyone expected her to be that she lost track of who she was. She buried the memories and the pain of being raised by her grandmother because her mother was an addict, dying of AIDS when Gloria was young. She was convinced that the process of healing and facing her true self would cause unbearable pain. Little did she know that the very act of avoiding looking into that mirror was the source of all that pain.
Gloria found her way, fell in love with herself, and now is helping countless women around the world do the same. Loving yourself has nothing to do with hiding any and all of your insecurities and imperfections and everything to do with accepting yourself for who you are in this moment right here.
Are you ready to fall in love with yourself? I know you are!
So, let’s dive right in!
Loving Yourself through Self-Awareness
This may be Gloria’s hardest tip of all, but it’s so crucial that we’re putting it as her number one. You have to look into that mirror. Who do you see looking back at you? Not just all the flaws you see, or the persona you’re presenting to the rest of the world. Who are YOU?
With non-judgment, Gloria suggests you need to love every part of your journey, even the bad. That means you need to understand what it is you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
For example, Gloria realised she was numbing her pain through partying (every day for eight years). Why? Because she was hurting. She never dealt with the pain that she carried from her childhood, or even the pain from her divorce. So, she coped by drinking. It wasn’t until her counsellor told her in no uncertain terms that her drinking and driving was her way of trying to end her life did she wake up and see she was at bottom.
She could’ve ignored it and carried on as she was. But for some reason, this was her moment. Gloria looked in that mirror and saw her behaviour in a different light, realising where it was based and what she was getting from it. And that let her make different choices.
Loving Yourself through Positivity
Gloria’s second tip is to surround yourself with positivity and love. That means the people who are around you, as well as your own self-care.
This is a great time to set some healthy boundaries. If you notice you’re always doing everything for everyone else, leaving you no time for yourself, then you’re not loving yourself!
Perhaps my favourite expression from Gloria is, “No is a complete sentence”! That’s right, the word “no” doesn’t need to be followed up with any explanation. You can say no to people and they will still love and respect you. And guess what? You’ll love yourself for it!
Loving Yourself through Support
Gloria’s final tip in loving yourself is to feed your mind and find support for whatever it is you’re facing. This includes healing from trauma as much as building your business, and everything in between.
There are experts out there in every capacity. What works for one person may not work for the next, so ask around, do a little internet searching, and start making some connections. You already know about therapy, but do you know all the different types of therapy? That’s not to mention coaches! There is literally no shortage of support you can access out there. You just need to make the decision to reach out.
This is a great time to check out Gloria’s I’m Loving Me Project!
More from this episode
Gloria gets personal with us in this episode, sharing what rock bottom looked like for her, her traumatic childhood, and the shame she felt after her divorce. Most importantly, Gloria shares how she managed to turn everything around and found the I’m Loving Me Project. It’s a candid interview full of inspiration that you don’t want to miss.
Press play on the episode above to get all the details!
Follow Gloria Ward
Find out all about Gloria’s I’m Loving Me Project on her website. You can also follow Gloria on Facebook and Instagram, and follow her I’m Loving Me Project on Instagram.
Want to help this podcast? Follow us, subscribe, and leave a comment on this, or any other episode!
Resources
Watch my free Moving Forward after Abuse Webinar, here!
Download my free Anxiety to Action Cheat Sheet for Entrepreneurs!
Download my Shifting your Mindset Guide, with workbook, for just $4!
Voice over credit: Shari Vandermolen. Shari is offering a free download of one of her songs to the fans of the Life Like You Mean It podcast! Just visit www.GiftFromShari.com and tell her where to send it. Shari’s debut album is available for streaming on all the major platforms including Spotify and iTunes.
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