Learning to love myself unconditionally

A story of my personal journey, Love Deanna.

Presenting myself well in public was a habit ingrained in me from childhood, from the moment I began dressing myself.

My Dad would lecture my four siblings and me about the importance of personal appearance.

“You’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression,” he would say. And he always emphasized the word “NEVER.”

We had strict rules to follow: No midriff showing, fingernails neat and clean, your hair brushed and styled “neatly,” and NEVER wear jeans to school (there’s that never word again.)

I remember in 7th grade putting my makeup on when I arrived at school. I was too young to wear makeup by his standards. No makeup and no dating until I turned sixteen.

Growing up that way, my personal appearance was the focus of who I was as a person. It was what fueled my confidence. I realize now how limiting that idea was for my entire being.

It was June 8th, 1985. The moment of my eldest child’s birth. For the first time in my life, I felt Unconditional Love.

I could feel his love pouring into me and my unconditional love for him.

In that miraculous moment, I became aware of how it felt to love and be loved with all my heart and soul.

For the first time in my life, I embodied a deep awareness of this divine feeling of love. Mine for him and his for me. I felt it in the core of my being.

The most blissful state of being.

It was the beginning of my journey into discovering who I was on the inside, my real, authentic self.

A point of no return.

Years later, after my children had grown and left the nest, I remember waking up from a dream and learning that I was my own worst enemy. I began to ask myself, what do I do now? How do I change that?

I asked Universe/God, “How do I love myself first?”

I was so used to putting everyone else’s needs and wants first and didn’t even know where to begin.

What does it mean to love myself unconditionally? What does it look like? What does it feel like?

I had no idea how to begin.

Soon after, the doors to my new journey began to open.

I now know that because I asked these questions, the answers and ideas began to appear in my awareness.

I started doing things I had never done before. I hired a therapist.

I attended a workshop on a devotional practice called Atma Kriya Yoga, a practice of Self Love. It came to me on my Facebook news feed.

I was now focused on learning all that I could about my inner Self. I wanted to know how to attain that state of loving myself all of the time.

It was to be an inward journey. And in true “Deanna” fashion, I dove right into the work. ALL at once. This is me.

Early on in my self love journey, Deborah came to me with TIM Makeup, the simplified version of our original makeup company, Jumelle Cosmetics. And it was through practicing the TIM ritual that I saw my “self” for the first time as the beautiful, loving being that I AM.

TIM is the first step in the journey of self love for many women who are now practicing this daily ritual. When we begin with our own selves, the act itself enables us to connect with each other.

Together we have the power to heal our world.

With extreme gratitude and reverence, Deborah and I are happy to have you join us on this journey of self love.

Welcome to our TIM community, where we are all one.

Love,
Deanna