The dictionary defines “spirit” is “the nonphysical part of a person that is the seat of emotions and character.” Therefore, when you love your spirit you love your emotional expression and your core character.

And yet, so many of us are not in love with the emotions we feel nor the way we express them. We try to control, ignore and deny what we feel. And when we do that, we hide and deny our character.

So how do you make peace with who you are when you’ve established a belief that who you are is somehow flawed, broken or unlovable? Here are is one process you can use to fall in love with your spirit:

Step 1. Uncover the origin story. At what point in your life did you decide that you are somehow wrong and you needed to hide parts of yourself from others? This journey will lead you to a root of your belief.

Step 2. Explore the story from other points of view. Did someone tell you something that led to that decision? Why do you think they said that? Were they trying to protect you? Were they trying to build themselves up? When you can see the event from other angles, you will most likely discover that you didn’t have all the information and made a flawed decision.

Step 3. Forgive and send love. Forgive yourself for making a faulty decision. And forgive anyone else involved for creating the scenario in the first place. Things happen. This is the past. Let it go. Send love to your past self. Let your former self know that she is loved and she is safe.

Step 4. Retell the story in a positive manner so that you transform the decision into something that empowers you now.

You may have to repeat this process because our faulty beliefs are often cemented by multiple experiences. However, once you can emerge from this process with a feeling that this particular unsupportive belief is healed, you should be able to move on to a more loving relationship with your spirit.

Originally created for the TidBitts.com platform, launched in September of 2014, my content on Fridays helps you “Own Your Awesome” in the eight facets of your life.