Kitty’s Corner: Thoughts, Opinions, & Musings of Kitty’s
Have you noticed love and romance seem to be in the air?
Could it be because Valentine’s Day is in the middle of February thus it is meant to celebrate the entire month of February as the month of LOVE?
What’s even better is that not only is February the month of LOVE but this February is also a Leap Year. This means we get one extra day for LOVE this month!
We all know love can be a complicated subject so we thought this might be the perfect time to learn a little bit more about this thing called love.
Did you know that the ancient Greeks used eight words to define the different states of love:
1) Storge: Natural affection
2) Philia: Friendship
3) Eros: Sexual and erotic
4) Agape: Unconditional divine love
5) Lutus: Flirting
6) Pragma: Committed married love
7) Philautia: Self love
8) Mania: Obsessive love
The ancient Greeks were pretty smart to recognize all the different ways we love. But even then, they realized that Self-love was crucial. The name they gave it was Philautia. Without Self love, we really can’t express the other types of love naturally. The bottom line is to love ourselves in a healthy way is healing for us. It makes our life easier to handle. It allows us to love others also in a more healthy way.
So in this month of love, let each of us ask ourselves “How much do we really love our self?”
Be honest. How much harder are you on yourself than others? Do you always take care of everyone else first, and if there is any energy left you come last? If you don’t do everything in that order do you then feel guilty? Do you find yourself angry or out of sorts for no reason? Or what about shame? Is that shame just hiding inside, you don’t know why you feel shame but you just do if you look in the corners of your mind?
Research proves that over time loving and forgiving yourself improves everything in your life. Getting rid of those FALSE beliefs helps to eventually heal you. How do you do it? It takes work, it takes time, and sometimes it isn’t easy.
In my research for this I came across a woman named Polly Noble. She was diagnosed with cancer two times before she was 28 years old. She survived her cancer and went on to share some of her lessons on life. You can look her up on the Internet and see what she believes helped her in that journey. Briefly, she said she must be in the moment and give herself ‘space’. She also suggested that each of us make our own well being a priority. Sounds like philautia to me!
She recommended giving yourself gifts that you may have given to someone else. She called it a ‘Duvet’ day. For example, book a full day at the Spa. Or a facial…or a massage where it is quiet and you don’t have to think or talk or act. Be good to You. You are worth every penny. Every moment. Just because it is February, the love month, try it. You may want to do that on a regular basis!
Much love,
Kitty (Owner)