When most women hear the phrase “self-care”, they have a pretty good idea of what that means. Self-care is all about caring for yourself. There are long lists of things that women do to care for themselves that include things like

Manicures
Pedicures
Facials
Massage
Getting enough sleep
Eating well
Blanks spaces on the calendar
Scheduling girlfriend time
Exercising
Getting hair done
Dressing in a way that feels good
Journaling…

All of these ways of caring for ourselves are brilliant, important, and essential. And… there are limitations to how effective self-care can really be for us.

This is because when we think about self-care, we think about the things we have to, or should do – all with amazing intentions and potentially beautiful outcomes. And, ultimately, it’s more doing.

For nearly every woman that I work with, the idea of needing or having to do more (even if it feels good and it’s for them) can lead to resistance, overwhelm, and even a lot of tears. Because they often feel there just isn’t enough energy in the tank and there aren’t enough hours in the day to do more.

In contrast, self-honoring is less about what you are (or aren’t) doing, and more about…

• Who you choose to BE in any given moment, circumstance or opportunity
• How you relate to yourself and the world around you
• Knowing your value and worth
• Living in a way that fully supports you – your vitality, wisdom, radiance and desires
• Prioritizing pleasure, enjoyment, and the things that light you up
• Trusting yourself, your unique journey and life itself

All of the things we do in the name of self-care are an important aspect of self-honoring. It’s crucial that we take care of and feel good in our physical bodies and our lives.

And… Who we are being in any given moment, and how we are relating to ourselves is even more significant.

You might be really good (or getting better every day) at taking care of yourself – your physical appearance, getting enough “you” time, maybe even your diet.

But if your energy is in the gutter and your health is suffering… if you feel trapped in your life and don’t know where your passions have gone to… if your confidence and self-worth are dependent upon looking a certain way, accomplishing something in a certain amount of time, constantly being productive, or on accolades and praise from others… if you’re deeply unhappy and you’re waiting for someone else to rescue you… if your fear of rejection or losing love has you living a life that’s two sizes too small for you…

…It’s not self-care that needs to be elevated or improved. Instead, your focus needs to shift to how well you honor yourself.

By all means, do that self-care. Be generous with yourself. Lavish yourself, your body and your life with positive attention, love, and gratitude. That is so important to do.

And don’t stop there. Take the inner steps to really transform your life from the inside out.

Learning to be true to yourself, to honor yourself fully, changes everything in magical ways you never could have imagined.

Are you ready to honor you?