First published 18 April 2024

Out Now

A few months ago I met a really interesting lady who hosts a podcast called ‘Real Chat with Kat’.  We chatted for hours about nothing and everything and then we decided I should come on her podcast!

So, we hopped on another call – chatted for ages and then thought we best get to recording!  This was the outcome! 

Kat creates her podcasts through conversation, other than her intro and outro, there is no script, I didn’t answer a bunch of questions in advance and she didn’t have a bunch of questions to go through on the call – it just flowed and that’s part of what I loved about her style.

It’s also available on Apple, Google, Spotify and iHeart so hopefully you can listen in wherever you get your podcasts.  I’d love to hear what you think.

I am on episode 103, (as I write this episode 104 is also live so you will need to jump back one!), feel free to have a listen through previous episodes and listen to any that catch your attention. Kat Polsinelli is so full of energy and a joy to be around, so go and immerse yourself in her content!

On a tangent but still related…

I was on another call last week where Kat was the keynote speaker and she talked about something that she discussed with another podcast guest who really had her thinking!

The golden rule of ‘treat everyone as you want to be treated‘ or the age-old version ‘love your neighbours as you love yourself.’ was the basis of her pondering – which get me pondering further!

These are sentiments that call for compassion and understanding. 

How often though, have you stopped to consider the ‘love yourself’ part? 

Because here’s where it gets interesting – if we don’t love ourselves, does that then mean we ‘should’ be treating others the way we treat ourselves – with a lack of love?  Do we struggle to treat others with care and compassion? Or perhaps, we treat others better than we treat ourselves as we feel like we don’t matter?

As a society, even though it’s now more widely spoken about, we still tend to push self-love aside.  We spend our time looking for external validation, we hustle for achievements and accolades, tying our self-worth to the perceptions of others (or at least it can sometimes feel like this is what we need to do!).

Who fancies being a rebel with me?  How about we turn it on its head and pause the need to extend love outwards while we cultivate it inwards?

If you have been reading these for a while, some of these tips will be no surprise:

Practice self-awareness:  Take the much-needed time to understand you.  What are your needs, your values and your boundaries? What truly makes you happy?  What drains your energy?  It’s time to dig and do the research!

Embrace Imperfections: We all mess up – some more than others (and sometimes we don’t, yet still beat ourselves up because we think we did!)  Forgive yourself.  Learn from mistakes and celebrate your unique journey.

Nurture your Wellbeing:  Prioritise activities that feed your mind, body and spirit.  That could be a relaxing bath (with or without a book/glass of wine!), go outside and spend time there, pursue a creative passion or hobby.  Make ‘Me Time’ non-negotiable – and don’t give me the ‘I don’t have time for that!’ if that’s what you truly think, we need a chat!

Set compassionate boundaries: Saying ‘No’ is crucial so practice it! Remember that prioritising your needs is not selfish, it’s essential for healthy relationships.

Celebrate your Wins (Big and Small):  I don’t care how small they are – sometimes just getting out of bed and brushing your teeth deserves a celebration!!  Acknowledge your accomplishments, you deserve to feel proud of yourself!

When we truly nurture our inner love, we become a source of strength and light, not just for ourselves, but for those around us.  We become better friends, partners, family members, and colleagues.  Imagine the ripple effect, a world where self-love fuels genuine connection and compassion and in no way feels ‘icky’!

So, remember, loving your neighbour begins with loving yourself.  It’s not selfish; it’s the essential foundation to be able to truly love your neighbour as you love yourself.

I’m here waiting if this is something you feel you would like some support on working towards so drop me a line or pick up the phone!