Simply put, I don't want you to lose half a century, or if you're closer to my age, the second half of a century continuing to mistake trauma responses for personality traits; thinking something must be wrong with you; or believing you must always come last. I've already debunked those lies for you.

Chances are you know that you should have compassion for yourself. You believe in the benefits of self-care. You embrace the concept of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. You simply don’t know how to engage all this stuff without feeling guilty, unworthy or disobedient. This 60-90 minute self-study course could introduce you to a part of yourself you never knew, or forgot, existed.

OBJECTIVES FOR THIS COURSE

1. Speak to Yourself Like Someone You Love

Pay attention to what happens when you make a mistake.

Would you speak to someone you care about the way you speak to yourself?

You’ll learn how to recognize harsh internal dialogue and replace chronic self-criticism with compassionate accountability.

2. Set Boundaries Without Excessive Guilt

You can love someone and tell them no.

You can care about someone and disagree with them.

You can be compassionate without becoming responsible for another adult’s emotions.

And yes…

Someone can be disappointed with you and you can survive it.

You’ll learn how to create healthier boundaries while managing the guilt, fear, and discomfort that may come with them.

3. Care for Your Body

Your body should not receive whatever energy, sleep, nutrition, movement, and attention happen to be left after everybody else gets served.

Caring for yourself physically isn’t vanity.

It’s stewardship.

You’ll explore practical ways to treat your body with greater respect instead of waiting until exhaustion forces you to pay attention.

4. Release the Need for Everyone’s Approval

You cannot control how everyone perceives you.

Some people may misunderstand you.

Some may disagree with you.

Some may dislike your boundaries.

And somebody somewhere may have an opinion about something you did in 2007.

They’ll be okay.

And so will you.

You’ll learn how to separate your worth from other people’s approval and make decisions based on your values rather than fear of rejection.

5. Strengthen Your Relationship With God

For people of faith, self-love can sometimes feel complicated.

You may wonder:

“Shouldn’t I put everyone else before myself?”

But Scripture tells us:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

That statement doesn’t eliminate the self.

It includes the self.

You’ll explore the difference between humility and self-rejection, service and self-abandonment, conviction and condemnation.

The goal isn’t to make yourself the center of your world.

It’s to stop treating yourself like you don’t belong in it.