living balanced ...one day at a time!

I just finished reading Mastin’s daily email dated Friday April 22nd today and Im glad I waited a few days to read it… it brought me to a place of strength and validation… a place where I needed to be today. I wanted to share it with you as well in hopes that it might bring you to a similar place of Peace today…. ENJOY!

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My name is Mastin Kipp & I am the Founder of The Daily Love.  

Self-hate is a dream killer. It is also a spit in the face to The Uni-verse, which created you to fulfill a great purpose.

 How do you step out of self-hate?

 The first step is accepting that you hate yourself and then believing that you deserve to be happy (even if it feels fake).  It takes courage to love yourself. It takes courage to be happy. There is a HUGE pay off for hating yourself. It means you don’t have to grow, step into the unknown and that you can continue to tell your sob story and get love and validation from those who feel sorry for you.

But that is no way to get love. And pretty soon, if you keep telling your sob story without claiming ownership of your part about why you are still stuck, people will start to get sick and tired of hearing about it. Life is hard, growth isn’t easy and real friends are there for you. But at some point even your best friends won’t want to hear it. This isn’t because they aren’t your friends, it’s because they want the best for you and wallowing in a pity story doesn’t serve your greatest good, or theirs.

 So, are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you ready to change? Do you want to wake up and love yourself a little more tomorrow? Do your dreams call to you, yet no one is answering the call on your end? Are you ready?

 Then come with me. Step out of the victim identity that says you are not worth happiness. Accept and affirm to yourself that you love you. Claim responsibility for your part in why you have stayed in this low vibration for so long. See that you actually get your needs met by throwing a pity party. Then start to take action from this moment forward.

 Call your friends and thank them for being there. Tell them that you will no longer tell the pity story and that you want to step into the Light of Love and change. Then ask them to hold you accountable when you slip.

Some other great steps to overcoming self-hatred are to make changes to your diet. Start to alkalize your body. If you don’t know how to do this, read “The pH Miracle” or “The Body Ecology Diet” to find the answer. Get out of the house and exercise and take a yoga class. Start to journal your feelings every morning. Make a gratitude list daily of what you are grateful for, rather that why you feel sorry for yourself.

 Also, find a way to be of service - not just with your money, but also with your time. Get into the experience of being of service. Give your time to the sick, homeless or elderly or find a cause that moves you.

 Getting outside of yourself and being of service is a wonderful way to lift your spirit. Get help, too. Start to see a therapist or get a life coach/mentor.

 There is great love available to you, right here and right now. When you close up and do not love yourself, it is as if you have created an impenetrable wall and are keeping all of the love out of your life. People can only love you to the same degree that you love yourself.

 It’s scary, but open up and let their love in. Accept a little more, day by day, that you are love-able and worthy. Let go of the need to control and accept the love that comes your way. If you are not surrounded by loving people, set a boundary and go where the love is.

 It gets better, day by day, if you let it.

 Love,

 Mastin

I hope that you had a fulfilling long-weekend, whether or not you observed Easter. The highlight of my weekend was the enlightenment I have been witness to in regards to my faith.  People often say that you turn to your higher power at times when you are helpless, with no other place to turn. Admittedly, this is what brought me to my decision to attend service at my grandmother’s former church Warden Full Gospel Assembly (Warden & Sheppard) in Scarborough.  Over the last year, I have overcome the after-effects of breaking up with my partner of 3 years, the death of my beloved Grandmother, and various life-changes, all of which had a largely negative impact on my health and well-being. I recently realized that my self-care mechanisms, although helpful, weren’t giving me 100% of the fulfillment that I was looking for.  The option that I saved for last was exploring my faith. Not only did the two Easter services that I attended this weekend validate my yearning for peace in my heart, they also brought me to a better understanding of myself. I felt light, calm, unburdened, safe, and at peace. And these are the feelings I have been trying to feel for a long, long time. I am so thankful for the enlightenment I have experienced this weekend which has brought me to a place of transformation.

With that said, I am so excited about what the future holds for me.  I have come full-circle over the last year and a half, it is really impressive, looking back. A year ago, I wouldn’t be able to tell  you how great of a person I am. I wouldn’t be able to recognize my potential or tell you what my long term goals are.  A year ago I didn’t live my own live or pursue my own dreams.  I was unfocused, unbalanced and disconnected from myself.  Today, however, I can say that I am working towards my dreams.  I know what they are and I am excited about the fact that each and every morning that I wake up, I am one step closer to reaching those goals. 

I am driven, focused and I am truly ready to “conquer the world”!!!

As each day passes, the passion I have towards having an active role in social change grows. 

Although I have just begun my degree, I find myself wanting to pursue different avenues every couple of weeks… as I become more informed and more educated, my passion grows and expands into areas that I hadn’t considered before.

I started out in the Social Service Work Program at Centennial College - I program that I will forever recommend to students who are looking for an in into the social services world. From there, I thought I would undoubtedly go into Social Work via Ryerson Universty and after about a year of working full time in the field, I began my journey to bridge over to their BSW Program.  However, with a few changes in lifestyle, impacting my emotional, psychological and physical self, my mood changed.  I didn’t want to be a Registered Social Worker anymore… so I decided to pursue other options… I applied to UTSC to a program that I thought would be as close in relation to Social Services as possible: Health Studies.  I have just finished my 1st year in the program, along with taking a few Women’s Studies electives, and now I’m discovering new passions!

Yesterday I decided to switch my focus again.

I am longing to work in a role that involves leadership / executive functions, policy-development, program development and implementation whilst working towards social change on a local, national and international level…

I think that a focus on Political Science & International Development will get me there… I’m still going to do a Minor in Health Studies, and I’m still going to take Women’s Studies electives, both of which will mold me into the professional I see myself being in the next 5 years…

Change.

It drives me. It inspires me. and I love it.

I hope I can inspire you to recognize the benefit in change as well…