If you give yourself one thing this holiday season, give yourself the gift of love. Take the time to just be and give to yourself. And what I mean by this is … write yourself a love letter.
Maybe it sounds corny, but only because you might think it’s corny. Tell yourself how much you love yourself. Write about what you love about yourself. Write about you right now as if you’re telling this to some other person. Open it a year from now after you do the same again. Remind yourself that you can’t ever love or be loved unless you gift yourself that gift first.
Here are some examples of ideas for your love letter:
Write it in bright pink glitter gel pen, make the words stand out.
Create your own stationery and write on that.
Keep the pages going and going. Write as much as you can.
Time yourself. Give yourself ten minutes of pure love. Or more less.
Address it to yourself in 2012.
Put glitter in the envelope so you’re showered with it when you open it next year.
Use stickers, draw pictures or cartoons, tell your story however you feel it’s best for you.
Write with your eyes closed.
Write in pig latin.
Translate your letter into French so your future self will have to translate it back. (or learn French next year!)
Tell yourself a story.
Remember one thing amazing about 2011.
Practice alliteration.
Create metaphors.
Rename the people in your life.
Write it in e-mail format and have Future Me send it out.
Include your 2012 bucket list.
Ponder the end of the world.
Imagine where you’ll be this time next year.
It’s important to exclude anything negative from this letter. Your future self doesn’t want negative in his/her life, so don’t give in. Make everything positive. Search out the light in situations, reflect on why something bad might actually be a blessing.
Finished and still inspired?
Write yourself a love letter to be opened in 2016.
Write your best friend a love letter for next year.
Write one for a stranger and leave it in the bindings of your favorite library book.
