So, who enjoyed VenusCamp yesterday? Who enjoyed doing something nice for themselves, and who enjoyed reading about other Babes being nice to themselves too?
And who couldn't help but feel empathy (and a wee smile) reading about babyjane's bath.
So if you want to you can repeat that all over again today. You can do something similar, or something different. This morning I went to make my breakfast - there was damn little in the fridge, and I've gone off cereal. However there was a little bit of smoked salmon left. Normally I'd selflessly and thriftily find a way to use it with pasta for dinner with dh, but not today. This morning I indulged myself completely with scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast (yes, you can tell that I work from home and don't have to do the school run!). But no guilt, no apologies, I feel good for having been so nice to myself.
If you didn't join VenusCamp yesterday, it's never too late. Just join in whenever you feel like it. One of the magic things about VenusCamp is that you never HAVE to do anything, there is no obligation, no guilt-trip, simply join in with what you like.
So what about today's VenusCamp activity? Well.... you can repeat yesterday if that made you feel good, or you can move on to the next activity, or you can do both (or even none).
Today's activity is an exercise in imagination (fear not those who spotted the word 'exercise', there is no running or huffing or puffing, oh no, that's not the venus-style at all).
So, if you can (and if you want to), find a quiet five minutes somewhere.... imagine, imagine that somewhere deep inside you is a place where all your feelings of love originate from, it's like a tiny seed that has been planted somewhere warm and protected. Then notice how the love is not just in the seed, it is filling your heart, your body, your mind. It is flowing to the surface of your skin, and then it is radiating out from you in all directions.
You don't have to believe that this is real, but imagine if all that love radiating from you was an endless supply - the more you give out, the more you have. Using it makes you feel good, and guess what, the more you use, the more reflects back to you from other people. It really is endless.
And yes, you even love yourself (even just for an imaginary moment). And because you love yourself you want to take care of your body (yes even just for this imaginary moment), you want to eat good things, to nourish yourself and to feel clean. And then guess what? because you're taking care of it, even in your imagination, your body notices little bubbles of health and energy.
In this imaginary place, you know that because you love yourself, you surround yourself with a home where you feel happy and content and comfortable. And the feelings of love that started as a tiny seed, fill you, and fill the rooms you are in.
Because you love yourself, you spend time working or caring or living in a way which you truly enjoy, one that uses all your talents and abilities, spending time with people that you love and who love and appreciate you (even just for this imaginary moment). Because you love yourself, you want to behave in a loving way to other people, and you attract loving people into your life.
Because you love yourself, you can experience THIS moment as good. And just for this imaginary moment, you let go of the worries of the past or the future, and you feel free.
And just for this moment you feel joyous and secure, and sustained by all that is good. And so it is.