Valentine's Day: The Meaning of The L Word and Why it's important to Practice Self-Love.

As Valentine's Day approaches I see more and more posts on social media almost putting pressure on the majority, posts that make many feel like they are lacking just because they do not have a significant other, then the dreaded peer pressure sets in, and the need to feel normal, the need to impress friends by being who they want you to be, the need to be perfect, the need to belong- well call me boring but all that is "superficial", as long as you have love living in your heart, your flesh, your bone, you are rich and lucky.

Choosing Yourself First: Building a Life Filled with Authentic Love and Support

Hey my darlings, thank you for your continuous love and support, and for taking the time to visit my website and read these little write-ups. Today we are focusing on surrounding ourselves with good vibes and letting go of things and relationships that no longer serve us.

In a world that often celebrates self-sacrifice and putting others first, it can feel radical to prioritize yourself. Yet, choosing yourself is the key to building a life filled with authentic love, genuine support, and deep fulfillment. The relationships you hold—whether with friends, family, or partners—should uplift you, not drain you. It’s time to focus on creating a space where the only energy that nourishes you remains.

Self-Love Is Not Selfish: How I Spent My Valentine's Day 2023.

Valentines...Ah! The day so many people feel on edge, the anxiety attack, the sense of entitlement, the wishful thinking (he should propose today), the day most people build up all their hopes and dreams on an individual to make all their dreams come true, or- maybe it's just a day like any other day you should show love to yourself, but on that particular date you can feel free to go overboard for yourself, or those around you, but you should never feel pressured to do anything you can't.

Did that make sense? ... Please read on for more details and please don't forget to follow me on Instagram if you like my content.

Lifestyle: How to practice Self-Love and Self-Appreciation.

This is one of my favorite topics, but let me start by asking you -What is Self-love?

Self-love is a process, and it takes time and effort. The first step is to recognize your own worth and value as a person, and not rely on external validation from others. You should also practice self-compassion and be kind and understanding with yourself when you make mistakes. Taking care of your physical health, by eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep, is also important for overall well-being. Additionally, set aside time for activities that bring you joy and help you feel relaxed and happy. Finally, remember to be patient and gentle with yourself as you grow and learn.

Self-Love - Why Loving Yourself Is Very Important - Here Are Ways To Practice Self Love. #selflove

Being kind to yourself helps you bounce back, live healthier, and stay on track.

Self-compassion and Self-Love is a way of relating to yourself that does not involve harshly judging or punishing yourself for every mistake you make, or every time someone does better than you.

“Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness, concern, and support you’d show to a good friend. When faced with difficult life struggles, or confronting personal mistakes, failures, and inadequacies, self-compassion responds with kindness rather than harsh self-judgment, recognizing that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.” (Neff & Dahm, 2015)

Adopt a mindful attitude in which you deliberately pay attention to your inner experience so that you can notice when you are beginning to shift into a negative state. The minute you realize that you are thinking negative thoughts about yourself or feeling anxiety in your body, stop and say to yourself, "This is a difficult moment," or, "I’m feeling distressed in my mind and body.” Trust me, people, I have experienced this time and time again to the point I blamed myself for failing for letting people into my mind and making me feel weak and helpless but I had to tell myself "NEVER AGAIN", once you notice you no longer do the things you love doing, once you notice you are beginning to become a stranger to yourself, once you notice you let go of your inner desires and needs for greatness just to please others then it is time to "Let Go" and start doing things for yourself, stand in front of that Bespoke Mirror and say 

" I am Beautiful"

"I am Strong"

"I am Good Enough"

"I am who I want to be"

Practice daily affirmations. Our thoughts precede our emotions and behaviors.

*Recite mantras that encourage self-compassion. Bring your attention to being good to yourself.

*Journal your strengths and everything about you for which you are grateful. Document everything you accomplish, feel good about, do right, like about yourself, etc.

*Keep your self-talk positive. Turn down the volume of your inner critic and choose to be your best coach or cheerleader.

Smile, Laugh, Love, Be The Happiest Version Of Yourself, Let Go Of Pain, Of Hurt " Of Sadness, Let Go Of That Grudge you are holding onto as it will only bring you bitterness, Choose to be Happy and the rest will fall into place

*Set aside time for daily mindfulness practices such as meditation, deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. These devotions will help you connect with your highest self.

*Make time for leisure and hobbies. Time for play and enjoyment is an important aspect of celebrating the gift of life.

*Prioritize sleep and exercise. You must reboot and revitalize your physical being.

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Lifestyle : Love Yourself And Surround Your Home With Positivity..

The Importance of Healing : It's Crucial To Understand That 'We Repeat What We Don't Repair'.

First of all, let me start this post off but wishing you all a Happy and wonderful new month, it is my prayer that we all experience magical things this month, today's write-up is a sensitive one so please stick with me.

Have you ever heard the expression "Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop"? Well, this quote was the most accurate thing I've read recently. I'm slowly coming to understand that the things that hurt us actually offer doors to fresh starts and fresh chances. For instance, when you cut off a negative friend, coworker, partner, or family member, you start to look for ways to move on, to heal, and to feel less depressed because that stuff hurts and I always say that only people you allow close to your heart and soul can hurt you; I'm not talking about physical "Hurt," here.

Strangers would mistreat us, yet we would eventually let it go. Why? It's simple to brush it aside after a little while since that person doesn't mean anything to us; however, if that hurt comes from a close friend, family member, or spouse, it feels like a spear to the heart.

Interior Decoration: Why It's Important To Add Natures colors To Your Home Decor . #InteriorDesignBlog #HowTo #Giveaways

Hi my lovelies, Its been a while, sometimes we get distracted by reality (what is reality eh?) lol, However, I am back now and I want to share some lovely tips and ideas with you all, many people sometimes wonder how to create a wonderful, colourful, positive living space without overdoing it, I hope I am able to help you out today.

For those who follow me on my Instagram --->(@lindaobella) you would see my different preferences when it comes to home decor & design.

1) Home Office Spaces - 

   I was playing around with colours over the past few months trying to find something that suits my mood, I went from all-white to grey and added a hint of gold but it still was not doing it for me, I later realised, I was vibrating towards "Emerald Green", I then discovered my birthstone is Emerald (Capricorn), and that was when I said that's it, I am going with my guts, and surrounding myself with Nature Vibes.

Self-Love : Treat Yourself Right And Live Life With Gratitude. #Selflove #Love #Quotes #Motivation

When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is show gratitude to my Creator And Ancestors/Guides, then I try to spread love and light to others around me, many people would strive to be where you are today, wake up without complaint because guess what "you are alive", some did not make it, some are strapped to medical beds, some can't even get up to use the toilet or bathroom themselves, but you- you woke up this morning, stood up, walked and felt your feet move, you had better be grateful and stop complaining about what you do not have and appreciate what you have because money can't buy "LIFE,HAPPINESS OR LOVE". Love yourself and stop waiting for other people to shower you with love and care, show yourself true love and Love will come to you , when you see a fellow male or female friend happy, be happy for them and watch happiness come to you, I am very immersed in spiritual knowledge and I understand the laws of the universe, I use crystals to heal and mend, I Sage myself when I feel any negative energy and I use my element which is "water" to cleanse my soul and body, and I welcome the spirit of love to radiate it's magical energy all through my body,mind and soul. There is magic in this world, many of us are so blind to see it, many of you live your life the way others want you to live it rather than follow your dreams, you dance to the beat of other people's drums, today is a new day, make a choice and turn your life around by showing yourself LOVE 💋May Blessing, Love and Light Be with You Always 🙏🏻🕯🔮🌙💜💙photo By @ao_photography 🌷#mua@mebyomotola 

Beauty Essentials: The Self-Care Kit by The Dead Sea Co.

Self-care is all we hear about these days, and why shouldn’t it be? There is no shame in wanting to take better care of yourself and your mental health! While a lot of self-care practices focus on your Mental health and grounding routine, pairing them with some indulgent pampering of your outer skin is also important for overall well-being.

I always say take care of your skin because it's the only place you have to live in, I have previously written posts about facials, etc, but today I will be emphasizing the use and benefits of Mud Masks.

Self-Care Kit by The Dead Sea Co

Lifestyle: Practicing Self-Care Is Very Important Especially During Autumn Season.

We are finally into the ‘Ber’ months of the year (yay). This is my favorite time of the year, starting with September when Autumn begins as September marked the birthday month of some special people I have crossed paths with in life, and now we are in October with Halloween here tomorrow.

Lifestyle : Self-Isolation Or Self-Re Evaluation!

Hi, Lovelies,

 I am just checking in on everyone, I hope you are all holding on and going strong, I want you to know that you are doing the best you can right now, don't forget to have fun and use this time wisely, don't just see this as "Self-Isolation" see it as "Self-Re-Evaluation".

Self-reevaluation is one of the ten processes of change in the transtheoretical model and involves cognitive reappraisal of how behaviour change is part of one’s identity. Although self-reevaluation is a critical motivator for individuals in the contemplation stage of change

We need to use this period to Re-Evaluate ourselves, this is the time to re-connect with who we truly are, It is also a time to rebrand and take time out to improve ourselves. If you have a platform, for example [Blog, Podcast, Vlog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook] this is the time to work on what kind of platform you want your audience to see.

Firstly Raise your Consciousness:
Consciousness-raising is the process of actively becoming more aware, mindful or conscious of the current situation, Self-reevaluation flows naturally from consciousness-raising. Self-reevaluation means taking stock or appraisal of the behaviour that needs to be changed, and reveals how your values conflict with the problem behaviours.

I am a huge lover of interior decor and design, I also love photography and all things beautiful, I am using this period to study and brush up on my skills as a digital content creator, I want people to be entertained when they visit my platform, that is why I am using this period to re-brand myself and my style.

Social Media Detox:
I love to take time off social media every now and again to detox and study, to also think of ways to improve myself, Social media will always be there so why would I need to spend every minute of my life on it.
It was discovered that most people who use social media end up comparing themselves to the lives of everyone they know. The problem with this is that it can have a serious impact on your self-esteem.
Even if you aren’t aware of it, social media brings out your competitive side. This is because the main basis of social media networks such as Facebook is to attract attention to your posts. Each reaction and comment is a measure of how popular a particular post is, which can make you strive to outdo others and even yourself.

Studies have shown that the more time you spend on a social media site, the more likely you are to develop depression. Additionally, the amount of time you spend on these sites is directly related to whether or not you feel stressed out or happy.
In other words, if you’ve been feeling highly anxious, stressed out or depressed, this is a good time to take a social media detox. It may feel weird at first, but your overall mood should begin to improve as you stay away from Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites for a little while.

Focus Your Energy On Important Things Like Your Health

I know we are told to go out once a day to exercise, but there are still other workouts one can do indoors to improve ourselves, get off that couch and move, it is easy to relax and let ourselves go but one must ask ourselves the bigger question- What would life be like after this is over? How do you foresee your Mental and Physical Health?. I am not perfect myself that is why I am sharing these tips with you also, to encourage you to never give up or assume this is the end of life as we know it, in fact, this is the time to do the things that make you happy and feel good.

Please leave your comments below, let me know your thoughts.

Lifestyle: I Would Not Be Who I Am Today Without Spirituality.

So It's been a very hectic and strange year and I have not really done a lot of posts about spirituality lately I apologize, I have answered most of your questions via email and Instagram, many of you wanted to know ways to clear negative entities and energies away, I say it starts with the mind and then Action, it's one thing saying you do not want negativity around you and it's another thing to actually do something about it. I am one of those people who don't give a toss what anyone says about me, I live my life the way I want to live it but I live it RIGHT, you must be yourself and not another person's version of you, some people come into your life because they want to exploit you, you have to be strong and be able to recognize a toxic friend, a friend who does not serve you or bring positive things to your life will only end up being your worst enemy, so before things get too messy "Do the right thing" and let them go, a true friend or colleague will try to work it out and find out ways to change their negative behavior while a fake friend will exploit the situation and do what I call "SEEK PITY PARTY" and  "Play the VICTIM", but when it gets to that stage, pat yourself in the back and know that you did the right thing by letting them go.

Prosperity & Abundance Oils [Made On Req]

Life Lessons : Everyone You Meet Has Something To Teach You- Learn From It. #Inspiration #Motivation #selflove

There is a purpose for everything that happens to you and especially when it comes to everyone you meet. Some people will test you, some will use you, some will bring out the best in you, others will abuse you but everything we face is another priceless experience which takes place for us to learn and grow from and everyone will teach you something about yourself, something  you never knew or fail to accept & recognise. As a spiritual person, i practice the teachings of Buddha and I believe each experience we go through with individuals we meet is actually a blessing and has only happened for you to learn the most valuable lessons and each being specific to you and necessary for your personal growth and development. Each prepare you for the next chapter of your journey with every teaching you take another incredible step towards expanding your consciousness.

Lifestyle: What The Act Of Letting Go Really Does To You and For You.

One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you cannot change, I know this is true because abundance is a process of letting go; remember the saying "that which is empty can receive", you have to learn to let go of things that no longer serve you or bring any sort of negative and toxic energy into your life.

Beauty Chat 101: Your Skin Is An Investment Not An Expense.| Erborian Ginseng Infusion.

Self-care starts with skincare. Don't believe me? Let me give you a little example below.

So you know how I am always all about self-love, selfless acts of love, breathing in positivity, exhaling negativity, and all that, well while doing all that I realized I needed to pay attention to the language my skin was speaking and she was speaking "STRESS". Stress has a huge impact on our skin, it's something that cannot be avoided, as much as you want to be kumbaya! Life and its daily activities will have your skin screaming in different languages. I very recently decided while doing meditation, breathing exercises, working out and etc, I needed to pay extra attention to my skincare regimen as well as my health.

Before you read further please note that this is NOT an AD, it's my personal opinion about these products, and also included in this post is an authentic review from our lifestyle editor Melissa which I will share later in this post.

Erborian Ginseng Infusion 

Wednesday Motivation- Stop Apologizing For Your Emotions. #selflove #love

Sometimes it’s hard to admit what you’re feeling. You feel like you shouldn’t be upset when you are, or you get really super excited over the little things in life that make you smile. And no one seems to understand why you feel the way you do, But like I always advise people do not apologize for feeling the way you do.

 Always say what you mean and mean what you say. Express how you feel and don't ever apologize for being real, i always say in life you will realize that people will love the idea of you but with lack the maturity to handle the reality of you. No matter how hard you try, you can never please everyone. Follow your heart, make the most of every day, and be proud of who you are. Everyday I learn new things in life, I am so grateful to the universe for taking me through different difficult paths in life, i have had to learn the act of "forgiveness" and sending out good vibes and energies , I have learnt to never feel the need to put my emotions aside to please anyone and even though it does backfire as you will come across people in this life who never like to hear the truth , still never apologize for your emotions, remember you are magic , people will hate you, rate you, shake you and break you, But how strong you stand is what makes you.

Lifestyle: 5 Ways To Stay Happy Even When Life Tries To Put You Down. #Happiness #LFBlogger

Fashion : Exclusive Interview With An Amazingly Talented Virtual Fashion Clothing and Shoe Designer - MissC.

To me: creativity Is intelligence and having fun, It's a known fact that the desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul and this feature is about a queen who listens to her deepest yearnings and blows minds with her creative work. One favorite quote comes to mind every time I see her work -Everything you can imagine is real."  ~Pablo Picasso.

As you already know I own a Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, and Entertainment Magazine (OTSMagazine), We feature, promote, and create more awareness about celebrities, Models, Entrepreneurs, and upcoming Brands, OTS is the virtual 3D version of my magazine, but it's a more fun way of doing things because I get to communicate sort of in-person with the guest and audience using 3D Avatars, sitting around a beautifully decorated room and enjoy the show.

Lifestyle: Maintaining A Healthy And Peaceful Mindset Is Golden During This Period.

How are you all doing? How are you coping? How are you feeling?

It's Okay to feel overwhelmed by it all, It is okay to feel like you are not doing enough, It is okay to feel like the world is on your shoulder, We can't give up now, we have to stay strong and fight this, We have to find a way to still maintain some extent of normality in our everyday life. One thing I know for sure is this - We have to do whatever makes us and the people around us happy.

The best way of achieving that is by keeping your mind, body and soul Peaceful, I will talk about what I have been doing and hopefully, you can share some of your own tips with me below please- "Sharing Is Caring".

🧘🏼‍♀️Start the day with a Positive Affirmation.

Affirmations are positive statements that you should say to yourself in the morning (and in front of a mirror if you can), that can help you to feel motivated and reshape your limiting beliefs. Affirmations are a key factor when using the Law of Attraction and manifesting your dream life!. I am a huge believer of the "Law Of Attraction" whatever energy you put out to the universe comes back, if you put out bad vibes and bad thoughts towards others it will surely come back no matter who you are or how long it takes, you will get your comeuppance, However, if you put out good energy, good vibes towards others, the universe will be good to you and you will be blessed and protected in all you do.

🌻Focus on the good things, however small.

Waking up with positive, infectious energy isn’t as hard as you think. If you’re struggling to make your day a great one, try practising #Gratefulness. It could be the very thought of the rising sun that warms you, the trees that shade you or even the fact that you woke up to see it all one more time.

To fully embrace the beauty of life, tell yourself how wonderful it is. Convince yourself that this day will be one worth smiling for, and watch how your mindset mirrors your positive thinking, I joined few groups,(21 Days Abundance Challenge) which is on Youtube with Deepak Chopra who I love, but these groups help me stay grounded too.

📝Write down your ideas.

“When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools.”~Michael Leboeuf.

whatever the idea may be, no matter how big or small- "Write it down Hun", with everything else going on in life it is easy to forget those ideas that fly by, I have noticed some great ideas come when you are extremely busy and distracted and if you don't make a habit of writing it down you will forget it swiftly.

Play word searches to keep the brain active.

This is a good way to keep the brain active and happy, When we finish a task, like finding words in a word search puzzle, our brains reward us with a surge of dopamine. Keeping this dopamine flowing can keep us motivated in other areas of our lives.

📈Turn failures into lessons. 

Mistakes are inevitable. Not only are they an essential part of being an adult. They are also responsible for some of the most brilliant inventions known to mankind.

When you find yourself facing the occasional slipup and experiencing some failures at work or in your personal life, instead of getting frustrated, let this lift you up taller and help make you a better person. I have made some terrible mistakes and judgment, I learnt from it and it made me a better person. No one is perfect so don't beat yourself up anytime things don't work out your way. It’s the little things in life that bring us joy, but it’s also quite often other little things that push us over the edge. It’s impossible to rule out every sliver of stress present in your life, but how you handle it can make all the difference.

📢Transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk.

Self-talk is your internal dialogue. It’s influenced by your subconscious mind, and it reveals your thoughts, beliefs, questions, and ideas. It can be both negative and positive. It can be encouraging, and it can be distressing. Much of your self-talk depends on your personality. If you’re an optimist, your self-talk may be more hopeful and positive. The opposite is generally true if you tend to be a pessimist, I know daily lifestyle can influence the way we think but if we can lean towards the optimist side of things then the future is bright, I can be hard on myself sometimes but I have been working on stay positive and not sweating the little things.

Focus on the present.

We live in the age of distraction. Yet one of life's sharpest paradoxes is that the brightest future hinges on your ability to pay attention to the present. We spend so much time telling ourselves that we’re not good enough, smart enough, talented enough, or thin enough. We worry so much about things we have no control over, I often see people compare themselves to others wanting to be like them, but if you could take a minute to appreciate the present, the Now, you will begin to see things in a different way. Your mind is not in the past nor is it in the future. It is right here, right now.

👥Find positive friends, mentors and co-workers.

Connect with people that lift you up and not pull you down, connect with people who will support your dreams, ideas and aspirations. Stay away from dream killers, from people who always have a negative opinion or advice, the most painful part is that sometimes such people are the ones we trust, love and hold close to our heart, they can also be the worst advisers. So, surround yourself with those with a similar mindset like you, people who enjoy a good positive conversation, women who love lifting other women up and not putting you down. 

I hope I have been able to mention something you can relate to, Please feel free to leave comments and share the post with others who need to hear such words.

Until next time - Please stay safe and stay home.