Madly in Love with ME. Christine Arylo

a lot of good stories to tell, many of which I have included in the pages of this book.

      What to Expect in the Pages That Follow

      Throughout this magical experience you will encounter several different types of adventures, most of which I have listed below: daring acts, creative escapades, heartfelt conversations with yourself, and small but mighty spiritual practices. Stop here and try some of these out right now.

       Daring Acts of Love

       You offer acts of love to others all the time, daily even, but too often you leave yourself out of the equation, for all the reasons I’ve already stated. So to help you build up your ability to love yourself, I’ve created some short but powerful invitations that dare you to get out of your comfort zone and into your love zone, especially when it comes to directing love to yourself! These “Daring Acts of Love” may seem wacky or insignificant, and you may find yourself wondering, “How could that have any impact on me?” They may feel like risks, and the fears that currently hold you back will attempt to stop you from taking these dares. Or they may even seem superfun from the get-go. Regardless of the feelings these Daring Acts of Love elicit, they promise to build up your “Self-Love Mojo” — your capacity and strength to love yourself. They also build your “Love Power” — your ability to feel loved, give love, and receive love no matter who or what is or isn’t happening outside of you. If you find yourself resisting the dares, call on your little-girl self, who believed that love was always there for her and who didn’t care what anyone else thought because, to her, she was just being herself. I highly encourage you to take every single one of the dares. In fact, I dare you!

       ME Art

       Regardless of how you feel about your creative abilities today, your little-girl self wasn’t afraid to pick up a crayon and draw. All children can draw, until someone tells them they can’t. And taking things from mental concept to something you can see with your eyes or feel in your body will shift you to an entirely new level — and these are the levels you need to open up access to in order to increase your capacity to choose love for yourself and your mastery of that love. If what you were already doing was working, you wouldn’t be here on this adventure. So be adventurous! And here’s the good news: All ME Art will be created by your inner little girl, the one who didn’t worry about coloring outside the lines. In fact, daring girl that she is, she kind of likes it. You don’t have to be an artist, don’t have to be technically good at drawing; you just need to be willing to express yourself. Okay? Are you willing?

      Great! Then to give you a taste of what you will experience throughout our adventure together, let’s have some fun by combining a Daring Act of Love with some ME Art.

Daring Act of Love Write a Secret Love Note to Yourself and Wear It All Day Long

      As we begin your Madly in Love with ME journey, keeping your self-love as a special secret between you and you is A-OK. For now, the secrecy keeps the pact and bond special, just like a secret between best friends. There will be a point when you fly your selflove flag where all can see, but for now this dare is just for you.

      On the palm of your hand, write yourself a love note in ME Art fashion, meaning: give it a little girlie flair. Write the words “I love you!” and then draw a heart underneath it. Just like you were in seventh grade. Now, throughout the day, look at your palm to remind yourself that you have indeed said yes! to taking a fantastical adventure with yourself.

       Love Mantras

      These short but superpowered phrases are really just words repeated to invoke a particular kind of energy and intention, in this case love for you. They have the power to instantly change your thoughts and feelings — from fear to love, criticism to compassion, doubt to courage, hate to love, anxiety to peace. They also have the ability to plant seeds in the form of new, self-loving beliefs and feelings. When used regularly, these new beliefs and feelings will get you thinking, feeling, and acting differently, in ways that are rooted in love for yourself.

      If you’ve never used a mantra, rest assured that the process is simple. In moments when you find yourself disconnected from love — feeling afraid, ashamed, or anxious — say the mantra out loud again and again for as long as it takes, until the unloving feeling dissipates and you generate love for yourself. As you repeat this powerful and specific string of words, you will eventually feel a shift, often in your body and in your emotional field, as your heart opens itself to love and relaxes. Ahhh!

      Why do mantras work? It’s not voodoo, just simple science with a dash of spirituality. When words come out of your mouth, they create sound. Sound is vibration. Your body and spirit are already attuned to the vibration of your thoughts and surroundings, so when you say words attuned to love, you take away the power of thoughts attuned to fear. The more you use the Love Mantras, the more your self-love will grow. I like to carry a mantra or two in my mind always, just as I always make sure I have a pack of mints in my purse. Why? Because just as bad breath needs a superquick freshening up, you don’t want to be caught without a way to shift your thoughts and feelings when some yuck-filled energy has overtaken your mind.

      To get started with your Love Mantras right now, let’s add on to the Daring Act of Love you just took. On the hand where you’ve written the words “I love you,” add your name, so that it reads, “I love you, <<insert your name>>.” Say these words out loud over and over again, looking at your palm, until you feel a shift in your body or heart. Love Mantra Power! Oh, yeah!

       ME Moments

      Imagine sitting down to have a loving heart-to-heart with your best friend. Just as a wise friend always starts by asking you questions instead of trying to give you advice or opinions, ME Moments will guide you through a series of short but powerful questions to help you find answers inside yourself. Sometimes, just a like a friend who reflects back to you your beauty, perfection, and brilliance, the ME Moment will lead you through a visualization, meditation, or set of questions that connects you back to the truth of who you are — a beautiful, powerful, and free woman who knows who she is and what she needs, as long as she remembers to ask herself. In fact, let’s stop here for a moment.

      Close your eyes, put your hand on your heart, and take a deep breath. (Don’t skip that part. These three physical steps attune your mind, body, and spirit to your heart, which is where your wisest answers and unwavering sense of self-love live.) Then open your eyes, and ask yourself the questions on the next page.

      You always have the choice to answer ME Moment questions in one of three ways:

      1. Mentally: think the words to yourself.

      2. Verbally: speak your answers out loud so you can hear them.

      3. Visually: write or draw the answers so you can see the words.

      Depending on how deep you want to go with yourself, and how much power you want the ME Moment to pack, decide which action is most appropriate. Answering mentally will have the lightest touch. You will just begin to entertain a new awareness. Speaking words out loud will add more power as you force the sound of the words (a vibration of love) to pass through your lips, which will affect your body and brain at a deeper level, a feeling level. Writing the words will add a visual imprint, as well as activate deeper parts of your subconscious, where love is needed most. For maximum benefit and lasting impact, take all three actions — think, speak, and write or draw.

      1. Why are you here? What brought you here to this book, at this time? What’s happening in your life or in your relationship with yourself that you want to no longer be true? List three things, using the words “I no longer wish <<insert situation>>.” For example: “I no longer wish to put myself last all the time. I no longer wish to have toxic or unhealthy relationships.