In college, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera soothed my ragged edges. Each time love failed me, I returned to my first love—books. Marquez never disappointed. Many relationships later, I’ve read and re-read my copy of the classic so often that many of the pages are nearly translucent.
If you’ve not read it, of course I recommend you do. It is a heart-opening story for those of us who are relentless in our commitment to experience love at the deepest levels.
As it turns out, it is an old love story for our modern times.
So, in homage to the great healer-poet, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I offer you this series, Self Love in the Time of Coronavirus.
One defining principle of alchemy is that all processes begin with fire. This series, I hope, is a match in the darkness — a catalyst to ignite your transformation bringing you to new heights of leadership and self-mastery.
I come bearing gifts. 13 gifts, in fact. They come as an invitation to join a conversation designed to bring more self love into your life. This is where it must begin — where we must all begin anew.
As Bono sang, “Love. She’s slippy.” Now more than ever before in my life, I’m clear that if we are to ever experience that soul-mate kind of love so many us seem to be reaching for, we must absolutely, unequivocally first and forevermore become our own soul mate. This, Beloved, is not easy. In fact, it’s the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever attempted. And that’s saying something. Turns out, loving yourself is the slippiest of all slippy love.*
When I work with my private clients, I often guide them to re-frame disempowering thoughts, ideas and self-talk. A reframe tells your subconscious mind to think about an experience in a way that serves you.
Did you ever attend a lock-in when you were a kid? Remember those from when you were a kid? You’d get locked in at school with your besties and stay up all night talking about any measure of things. I invite you to reframe the “lockdown” to lock-in.
What if you were to experience the quarantine and/or self-isolation as a lock-in with yourself?
If you’re not yet used to spending time with just yourself, loving yourself, accepting yourself, holding space for yourself, this has the potential to shift everything for you.
If you’re already on this path of deep self exploration, I honor the work you’ve done. It hasn’t always been easy. I see you.
If you’re feeling afraid, isolated, angry or sad about the pandemic and what it may mean for you and those you love, you’re not alone. Spend any amount of time on social media and you will see that panic is thickening the air and choking so many around us. But, that does not have to be true for you. You can choose to move to higher ground; to breathe fresher air. You can, if you’re willing, choose new thoughts about what all it can, and will, mean in the future.
My sense is that, among other things, the Coronavirus can serve as a clarion call to awaken to our divine nature. It is an invitation to step into our god-like powers to heal ourselves and this planet. This is both our responsibility and our response-ability.
Anyways (as my teenage daughter would say), for the next couple of weeks, I’ll be here. Holding space for a conversation about how you can take good care of yourself, so that you have the energy to take care of those around you. You cannot give from an empty cup. A self care practice is one of the most unselfish things you will ever do. This work is not for everyone, but if it is for you, it’s for you.
Welcome, Goddess. Welcome God. I remember you.
Wild About You,
Kimberly
* Deep bow to U2 for my taking such license with their Mysterious Ways lyrics.