My Self-Care Book of the Summer: The Declaration of You

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After 11 years of parenting, I can tell you my biggest (hard-learned) lesson: I have to prioritize self-care and dealing with my cr#p in order to give my kids a healthy, positive life and legacy.

So when two of my favorite women published The Declaration of You! How to Find It, Own It and Shout It From the Rooftops  (Jessica Swift and Michelle Ward with host Pierre Francois Frederic,) I knew it would be an essential self-care book for my summer.

It’s beautiful therapy. And life-changing, liberating, monumental, and soul-nourishing.


You see, these authors GET how to translate our heart’s desires questions, our goals, our pain into realistic steps, activities, and actions with wisdom, worksheets, activities, and inspiring interviews. (Oh, and videos and more on a special secret page for readers. Wowza.)

I needed this book. Because I never stop growing better, healing scars, and getting clarity.

Do you need this book, too?

Let me give you some of the highlights so you can find out. Be sure to print out the Hats You Wear activity below from the authors to you.

Oh, and by the way, The Declaration of You is a feast for your eyes, radiating colorful whimsy on every page. Gorgeous x a zillion!

I Am Willing To

In the INTENTION chapter there is an exercise for things you want to receive / way you want to feel. The first column asks you to list the intention. The second column asks you to “I am willing to . . .” .

So this was yet another big ol’ moment of epiphany I had while reading this book. If I do want to feel more comfortable in my body, . . . I have to be willing to: eat less, work out more, and sometimes be hungry. It seems like a duh moment. But for me, I just wasn’t getting that piece. Because I didn’t want to be hungry. Not until now because I see the connection to my intention.

Did I mention how much I love this book?

I Can Love Myself

The SELF-CARE chapter spoke to me. Loudly. Deeply. I reread and reread. Then did the activities.

First, I imagined my alter ego / inner parent / ass-kicker whose sole purpose is to make sure I’m treating myself kindly.

This was BIG, people –to imagine a nurturing but firm but not judgemental or guilt-tripping kind of mother-figure. The ah-ha was that I could self-mother. I could nurture myself. I could be that for myself. Whooooa. Deep, man.

Self Care

The next activity I did in this chapter was the Care Squares, creating a visual reminder of my self-care which I taped to my computer. I actually didn’t follow the directions exactly and did my intentions. (photo above.)

Baby Steps

The authors brilliantly guide us through so many astounding a-has by breaking things into smaller, digestable pieces.

For example:

FEELING: Happy

I FEEL Happy BECAUSE I spend my time reading in a comfy hammock
AND THAT CAN TRANSLATE TO THE REAL WORLD BY
carving out time to read in my favorite chair every week.

From the Authors to YOU

Dear Imagination Soup Readers,

We know that you wear lots of different hats: Mom, wife, daughter, friend, artist, employee…the list goes on. But you’re still only one person, and we know how it feels to have to tell your partner/kids/boss that you’re not available to them. That’s why we created All The Hats I Wear: a wheel to post on your door or workstation to communicate what it is you’re working on in the moment. If, for example, the hat points to “Business Owner”, your kids will know to save that story about princesses until the hat points to Mom. We have a feeling this’ll keep the interruptions -and your guilt level! – to a minimum.

Yours in amazeballs,

Jessica Swift and Michelle Ward

There’s So Much More

From Enthusiasm to Success to Money to Celebration, The Declaration of You overflows with abundant wisdom should you wish to receive it. I’m still reading, pondering, and creating through the book. Like I said, it’s my book o’ the summer so I’m making it last.

I hope it helps you as much as it’s helping me.

xo

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2 Comments

  1. What an awesome inside scoop! I had a real a-ha moment myself when I realised that to put my health first it meant I had to be prepared NOT to do other things. Sometimes what seems the simplest and most obvious evades us for so long.