Loving Yourself on Valentine's Day &
Fran's Ultimate Chocolate Sauce
I have a problem with Valentine's Day. Valentine's day is about love, and I am a true believer in love but Valentine's Day is all about loving others, and you can't genuinely love anyone until you truly love yourself.
So how do we go about loving our self on Valentine's Day and every other day of the week? Start with the greatest gift you can give yourself. Tell the truth. Lying to yourself or others puts up a barrier of hardness in your heart and spirit . Lying never works and honest communication will set you free.
Here are some more helpful hints to love yourself and communicate honestly…
1. Say no to others. If you respect yourself, you'll respect your own time.
2. Follow your bliss. If you are doing something you don't love (job, friends etc) – stop doing it. Life is short – you are going to die – do what you love!
3. The love you make is equal to the love you take. Practice random acts of kindness. Sharing your gifts with someone unfortunate is one of the most fulfilling acts you can experience.
4. Free yourself from habits that harm you. Feel the craving – don't avoid being present in your feelings. Every time you practice this, the stronger you will become.
5. Don't focus on negative things. Gossiping, resentments etc. only hurt you.
6. Forgive yourself. Don't punish yourself for something you have done in the past. Look in the mirror every day and say to yourself “I forgive myself for _______”
7. Don't ever demean or ridicule yourself even in jest.
8. Practice affirmations. Write a list of things you like about yourself and read them every morning before you start your day. Start adding things that you aspire to be and you might be surprised how quickly they become real.
9. Stop wanting someone else to give you the love you want. You are worthy of respect and love from yourself.
10. Take 5 minutes of your day to practice meditation. Meditation is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. A clear, unbiased mind is available at all times, and all you have to do is sit down in a comfortable position and close your eyes for 5 minutes. Don't worry about doing it right. There are many guided meditations on Itunes available for beginners and CDs you can buy. Also, the Chopra Center is starting a FREE thirty day meditation beginning on Feb 20. Knowing and experiencing the true nature of your mind leads to happiness.
The courage to communicate honestly with your heart, and learning to love yourself isn't going to be easy, but I do promise, if you start practicing a few of those things above, your life will change. Here is a plan for today. What if you used today to reveal one truthful thing about yourself to someone you love. Now that would be a perfect Valentine's gift. Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Vegan Day 290 – Wish me luck !
Speaking of love – Here is one of my true loves – Fran Costigan's Ultimate Chocolate Sauce. The name says it all. It is an absolute must for vegan chocolate lovers and non-vegans too. Also – extra added bonus – it is virtually fat-free.I use Fran's book any time I am craving something sweet. Somehow she has discovered the key to creating sumptuous dairy and egg-free deserts that taste delicious. Here is a link to her book. Enjoy!
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
- ½ cup light natural cane sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pour the water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat
- Combine the cocoa, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to mix. With the motor running, pour 6 tablespoons of the hot water through the feed tube. Stop the blender or food processor, and clean the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Process about 1 minute, until smooth. The sauce will be thin.
- Pour the sauce into a jar with a lid. Refrigerate the sauce for up to one week or freeze for up to one month.
