Happy Friday everyone! This week I am bringing you an inspiring and positive post about being kind to yourself and others, in three simple steps. These ideas can be implemented into your daily routine and they have worked wonders for my mindset and approach to life. This post is a collaboration with the beautiful spiritual ring brand Roundins – A brand that has a huge love for meditation and spirituality, which they have expressed through their keepsake rings. They have created rings with purpose, beauty and diversity which are unisex, have a rooted meaning and are incredibly sophisticated. Keep reading to find out more!

Self-love isn’t about purchasing the latest shoes or experiencing an expensive spa treatment. Although those things are great and bring short-term happiness, self-love is an inner survival method that can make you feel empowered, rooted and fulfilled. Without self-love, how can we simply love others deeply? We first must cultivate inner love and expand from there. My aim for 2018, is to focus on self-love deeply, this is something I have neglected for a long time and now I am ready to embark on this journey of self-discovery.

Self-love can really be simplified and it can be found everywhere! Self-care is letting go of that guy that ignores you, he is definitely not worth your bloody time. Your time is crucial, only spend it on others who deserve it. Self-care is letting go of that friend that weighs you down, saying NO to things you don’t want to do. Self-care is prioritising the things that make you feel good – the gym, eating well and sleep. Sometimes, self-care is looking beyond and caring for your inner soul, the soul that keeps you alive and fuelled.

The Jewellery with Purpose

When I was contacted by Roundins, I couldn’t wait to explore their range! I am not one to ever purchase jewellery for myself and I rarely ever treat myself to material items, I have discovered that material items don’t always bring me lasting happiness. However, after browsing the collection that Roundins has to offer, I realised that jewellery is something I often wear. I only ever wear jewellery that has a true purpose to me or has been gifted by a close relative or friend. When I searched the Roundins website, I wanted to pick a ring that resonated with my ethos and also reinforced what I do daily. I wanted a piece of jewellery that would remind me of this. This is when I realised that their Peace ring radiated the true meaning of my blog, my inner ethos and my approach to life.

Whenever I have a wobble during the day, I always look down and read this beautiful quote on the outside of the Peace ring:

“May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness be guarded by beneficial Celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood”. 

This quote touched my soul and really made me smile, I knew it was the ring for me.

Material: Stainless Steel, 100% Nickel Free, Hypoallergenic.

Top Tips To Be Kinder To Yourself & Others

These simple steps don’t require much time and will help you feel energised, happier and more focused on your purpose as a being.

Smiling At Strangers & Yourself

Don’t take things for granted and be grateful for your surroundings and for your items you cherish. There are people out there that have it much worse than you but they appreciate the small things they have. Smiling seems like such an easy, automatic action that we do, yet we don’t express this emotion enough. People are always busy running from one errand to another and we almost forget the subtle art of smiling. We rush, ignore, and block out human contact, to ensure we can stay focused and driven on our day. But when you slow down for just a minute, you will realise there are so many reasons why we need to remember to smile at strangers daily.

Smiling at strangers is a small exercise in compassion. When we smile, it actually makes us happier. But in smiling at strangers, you acknowledge humanity, and in doing that, you remind yourself of it and you are subtly promoting peace by bringing joy and kindness to others. With all the negatives happening in the world today, showing a small act of kindness is so important. You never know what a person may be going through. A smile may be the thing they need to make their day better.

Also, each day, don’t forget to smile at yourself in the mirror! Sounds mental doesn’t it, but honestly, you’ll feel hilarious and BOOM, you’ll instantly feel better!

Reducing Retaliation

“We are all born in the same way, and we all die. All of us want happiness and do not want to suffer. Looking at others from this standpoint rather than emphasising secondary differences […] I find that relating to others on that level makes it much easier to exchange and communicate with one another” (Dalai Lama, 1998, pg. 71).

Generally speaking, sometimes, we don’t always want our ‘enemies’ to have good things or to experience good things. Sounds terrible doesn’t it, but I am sure you have experienced the same. Sometimes out of frustration we can retaliate and say things we don’t mean. But just have a think, if the person you don’t like is experiencing sadness through your actions, does that really make you feel good, do you experience some sort of happiness? If we take revenge upon an ‘enemy’ or someone we don’t like, we are retaliating and fuelling the negativity. Be strong, don’t retaliate and simply move on. Don’t force negative actions. The more kindness we radiate, the more it comes our way. Retaliation isn’t worth your time or energy, nothing will be achieved, only tears, words which should be left unspoken and frustration will control your day.

Complimenting Others & Yourself

This works the same as smiling at a stranger; complimenting others is a great way to fuel happiness and to make yourself feel good. As well as smiling at yourself in the mirror, you should also think about 1 thing you love about yourself each day. Whether it’s your hairstyle, your outfit or even the meal you cooked, acknowledge yourself and your achievements and pat yourself on the back. The act of giving compliments creates a virtuous circle. You can reinforce a person’s value in the world while strengthening your relationship and reducing the elements of loneliness. This also works for yourself, you will deepen the connection within yourself and strengthen your value in the world. After all, we can’t always rely on other people for love, so first, we must radiate it inwards. Compliments make other people feel good and make others want to be around you, so it works great!

Take 10 Minutes Out

10 MINUTES! Yes, we can all spare 10 minutes of our day to re-think, re-energise and to simply breathe. This may sound stressful to some and too easy for others. But taking 10 minutes out of your day to re-connect is incredibly healing for your mind and your body. Not only do we become overwhelmed with work and family life, we can neglect our own self-love. This does not mean you have to downward dog on a yoga mat, don’t panic (although that’s totally awesome).

Take 10 minutes out each day to breathe, become in-tune with your body and to appreciate your surroundings. You could do this while you eat your lunch, on your commute to work or in between the television commercials… 5-10 minutes… It won’t take long and I promise, you’ll feel better for it. I love lighting a candle or burning an incense whilst I do this; this is what calms me down, but if you don’t have that… That’s ok! For these 5-10 minutes, I will concentrate on my breath, I will cancel out thoughts and I will repeat positive affirmations in my head and think of gratitude. Honestly, it’s amazing, so don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

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I hope these tips have helped you embrace diversity, self-love and your love for others. I have realised that throughout my life I have neglected self-love far too much and I have radiated kindness in abundance. However, I never truly benefited from my positive actions because I was not carrying out self-love for myself. Now, I am working on achieving a true balance of the both.

Having the Roundins Peace ring as a constant reminder is refreshing, humbling and positive. I adore the concepts of the Roundins brand and I hope you love their products, just as much as me! For more information and to purchase your own beautiful ring, check out their website here – Roundins .

Also, a great way of looking at how other people have styled their rings is to browse the Roundins social media pages. I would like to thank Roundins for collaborating with me on this post, I have adored every moment and I am overjoyed by this piece of jewellery, I will be cherishing it forever. They make a wonderful gift – to yourself or to someone else.

Use the following links to keep up to date with their adventures: Facebook | Instagram

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I would love to know your thoughts on this topic. What do you do each day to spread kindness, to yourself and to others?

This post includes a paid collaboration.

All of the images in this blog post are taken by Heidi Jordan photography, an absolute pleasure to work with, thank you so much Heidi!

Location for images: Ribby Hall Village.

Jessica, x