"I finally found my rhythm when I realized even the steps backwards were part of the dance." -- Melody Godfred This poem from my debut poetry collection, Self Love Poetry: For Thinkers & Feelers embodies everything I learned in my thirties. After a lifetime spent worrying about perfection and struggling to stay on the narrow linear path of accomplishment we're all forced to embrace, my thirties have been about realizing that my growth isn't in fact linear, and that there is nothing awaiting me in perfection. By claiming my authenticity over everything else, I now make decisions that are in...
Be joyful, we proclaim to each other. But the truth is – if you’re anything like me – knowing what brings you joy gets harder and harder to pin down the older and busier you get. When I was a teenager and later in my twenties, my joy was always within arm’s reach: my besties, my favorite CD and headphones, weekend getaways to Palm Springs to get a tan. Joy was attainable because I knew my joy, intimately. As I grew up, my responsibilities mounted, and with that, my joy slowly dissipated. The more I worked, the more I achieved,...
Gratitude is a word you hear quite a bit once you start exploring self love, positivity and mindfulness. While the traditional definition—being thankful—is important, I’m going to challenge you to think of gratitude a little differently. For me, gratitude isn’t just about being thankful. It is about being truly present in the moment I’m experiencing, instead of feeling guilty about something outside of my current experience. Let me explain. If you’re a working mother like I am, you spend a lot of time feeling guilty that you’re not with your kids, instead of feeling grateful that you’re at work (and...
Do you feel things more deeply than others seem to? Are you easily overwhelmed by crowds and stimuli? Do you at times need to hide away and escape for some needed self care? If so, you might be a highly sensitive person—a term for those who are believed to have a deeper central nervous system sensitivity to emotional, physical, or communal stimuli. The term highly sensitive person (HSP) was first coined in the mid-1990s by psychologists Elaine Aron and Arthur Aron and since then both interest in and further verification of their findings has grown exponentially. A highly sensitive person...
Thank you, mom. For seeing my most authentic self the moment I was born and naming me Melody. Thank you, mom. For bravely leaving your home country and family when you were only 21 and I was only 3 months so I could have a better life. Thank you, mom. For giving me an idyllic childhood, despite having to make a life out of nothing with no one to lean on but Dad. Thank you, mom. For the homemade birthday cakes with pudding centers and handwritten invitations. Thank you, mom. For the singing and piano lessons, the art and dance...
Why do we stay in relationships that are mediocre, underwhelming, and inadequate—or even unhealthy and sometimes harmful? How many of us have, at some point in our lives, found ourselves working overtime to make a wrong relationship work—dating the same partner three, four, even five times? If not from our own personal experiences, then we’ve all at least had friends and family members stuck in this defeating cyclic shuffle. People that we love and trust who are otherwise healthy people that stay in relationships for the wrong reasons. As women, we surge forward into careers and life goals without comprising...
Often the hard part of self love is knowing where to begin. We all want to love ourselves—but the question is, how do you love yourself? What does that mean? The key to self love is self awareness. Only when you truly know yourself can you love yourself and build a life that is in alignment with and in service to your true self. Asking yourself self love accountability questions empowers you to start cultivating a life that honors your needs, while also forging a path forward that nurtures self development and growth. In theory, self love is a destination....
What is self love and why is self love important to practice daily? Self love is defined as regard for one's own well-being and happiness. The concept seems simple enough, and yet it can be one of the most difficult things to put into practice. Check out our definition of self love below, and learn why it is crucial to incorporate. Self Love: What Is It? Before we explore why self love is important and practical ways to incorporate it, let’s pin down exactly what self love is. Self love, also referred to as self-compassion, is the ability to relate...
I found my ME in an A Minor chord waiting to be played on my piano I found my ME tucked away on the top shelf of my library in a book by Toni Morrison filled with the most decadent prose I found my ME in ticket stubs from an outdoor concert where everyone knew the words and was singing along I found my ME in a picture of cobbled streets of a far away city only explored by the most curious travelers I found my ME in a faded journal filled with feelings felt by a girl who felt everything ...
Happy International Women’s Day to all of the powerful women in our lives. Today we celebrate YOU, your stories and all of your accomplishments in addition to all the amazing women that have paved the way. From Coco Chanel to Tracee Ellis Ross, each woman below is a testament to the phrase, “Where there’s a WOMAN, there’s a way.” With courage, strength, love and a bit of ingenuity, these women overcame life’s challenges to transform our culture and the world. 1. "It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou’s poems...
Demi Lovato’s new single “I Love Me” drops tonight and it is the pinnacle of self love. Demi is reclaiming herself and taking a stand for women everywhere. Only a 30 second snippet has been revealed, but we love that in I Love Me she’s wearing our power color: red. While we’re counting down the minutes ‘til I Love Me drops, let’s take a look at the I Love Me lyrics we do have and see what Demi Lovato has said about self-love and self-care: “Why do I compare myself to everyone? And I always got my finger on the...
On Saturday, 13,000 people gathered at the Forum in Los Angeles for Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour. Oprah carried the day with her vision, her abundant wisdom, her generous heart and spirit. But if you’ve read the news, there’s only one thing you probably know about the day: she fell. While giving her first address of the day, Oprah was sharing about the need for balance, and she fell. As she expressed on her Instagram afterwards, her fall became a meme. She deserves better. So do we. Maybe it’s because she’s Oprah - one of the most celebrated, influential and self-made...
