How are you filling up your self-love tank?
Taking a month off from writing my blog was about self-love through inaction. But how can you actively fill up your self-love tank?
The last month has been a time of reflection, healing, and slow integration into my local community. So it was a perfect time to focus on self-care.
Since February is referred to as the month of love, I wanted to start this blog with how I spent my afternoon on Valentine’s Day.
First, I visited the Coast to Coast Impressionism Exhibit in the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. For at least a year, I’ve wanted to see it. What do you think stopped me? Conversely, why do you think I went on a holiday about love? How did you spend Valentine’s Day?
HOW I FELT DURING MY VISIT
I felt connected to the locations as I slowly wandered through this exhibit. The western scenes brought me back to my years in Colorado, including the many weekend trips to visit my parents, who had moved to La Garita, Colorado, from Polk County, Florida.
The eastern scenes are closely related to my current area in North Carolina. And the still life paintings transported me to fond memories of painting in oils during my thirties in West Orange County, Florida.
My heart expanded throughout my wanderings, including the history exhibit and photography winners on the second floor. There wasn’t a bit of sadness. Instead, I felt gratitude and appreciation for my decision to feed my soul. I thought, “This is one way of filling up your self-love tank.”
Looking at all the beautiful art made me thirsty and hungry. Since it was a little after 4 pm on Valentine’s Day, my options were limited. I had noticed a neon ‘OPEN’ sign at Six Pence Pub just as I turned the corner off Main Street toward my favorite parking area. The thought of authentically British Fish and Chips had been on my mind for weeks.
The staff was attentive and helpful before their busy time ahead. My Guinness Black and Tan was fantastic, and the array of Royal Doulton Toby mugs before me kept me busy trying to identify them. Of course, I recognized Churchill but had no idea it was explicitly the #9 Churchill Bulldog jug of the year for 1992.
But it was King Henry VIII and his six wives that required opening up a Google search. I only missed two.
Which Toby Mug caught your attention first?
WHAT ELSE STANDS OUT IN FEBRUARY?
I’m the queen of self-discovery through online personality tests. Besides being entertaining, the results explain why I like them so much! I digress.
When I took Strengths Finder 2.0 in 2009, I discovered my strengths: Learner, Harmony, Input, Connectedness, and Relator.
- Yes, I love learning new things, including reading all the texts in the museum. (Learner)
- Looking at the Toby mugs lined up before me, I smiled. (Harmony)
- Researching facts about the Toby mugs makes my day! (Input)
- Please let me know your thoughts on this blog in the comments or signup for my newsletter. (Connectedness)
- Socializing is important to me, even if social media is currently my primary method. Follow me, and I’ll follow you! (Relator)
Therefore, it’s not surprising that I signed up for three online courses last month. The first one I’m delving into is The Complete Guide to Smartphone Photography. Once before, I signed up for a similar approach that was deeply into social media sharing. However, I quit within a few weeks. Why? Because I kept comparing my results to the other 10,000 people in the course!
One of the assignments involved using each of the possibilities of my iPhone native camera application. I found the Noir filter while using the Portrait mode. Do you ever use filters on your Smartphone?
I can’t end with a colorless photo. Spring bulbs are blooming everywhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sunny daffodils catch my attention as I drive on familiar roads. Their cheerfulness is welcome after a dreary, wet winter. And almost no snow at my elevation. 
But the Iris reticulata I planted last fall have popped up, releasing their cheerful colors. Although they are small and not so easy to spot, I imagine the bulbs multiplying over the next few years to offer a field of blue and purple on the hillside beside my driveway.
How are you filling up your self-love tank? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
With love and compassion,
Dawn
