2008 PhiliaDiDi - Learning to Love Myself

In March of this year I started this blog. One of my first entries was to introduce my life theme for 2008; “PhiliaDiDi – learning to love myself”. Every year since 2005, my yearly life theme has proclaimed itself to me and I’ve listened. I write it down and even create a ‘life card’, much like a business card that I carry around with me to remind me of what lesson or truth I need to pay attention to.

This year, although the theme had revealed itself way back in March, I had yet to produce the life card as my daily reminder. Luckily, just in the nick of time before this year ends, I’ve finally completed 2008’s life card thanks to the generous help of a graphic designer in my office at work. Here it is.

In talking about love, I learned that ancient Greeks employed several different words when describing different types of love. They used “Agape” love to describe a Godly type of love, “Eros” love to describe a romantic type of love, and “Philia” for a brotherly type of love. Philia seemed like just the right word for me in finding more acceptance, kindness and love for myself and of myself. It’s appropriate in my search to find love for my “inner child”, “inner self”, or “true self”.

Since I’m now paying attention to that inner part of myself, it seemed only right to use the name DiDi in the theme. DiDi is what everyone called me as a small child. It reflects the most pure sense of self that I have. Thus, PhiliaDiDi made perfect sense when it came to learning to love myself.

The image on the card is a great reflection of this year’s theme. It’s a combination of a Goddess image, combined with a heart over a chaotic background. The Goddess is the adult me, mother earth or all of womankind. The heart represents my little girl DiDi, who is held and protected by the Goddess. The chaotic background is the crazy world and dysfunctional environment that that I struggle against. The theme’s words appear as if written in the small words of a child yet seem to convey the boldness and strength of a woman who loves and appreciates all parts of herself. It’s the perfect combination of acceptance, existence, kindness and love.

This Year’s Theme: Learning to Love Myself

Each year for the past several years now I’ve experienced spurts of personal growth which emerge as themes or patterns in my life. These recurring topics have been useful roadmaps to focus my attention on learning to listen to myself more on a daily basis and in helping me find a more emotionally balanced place to exist in this sometimes crazy world.

The most interesting thing about these themes is that I’ve never gone in search of the topics, of what I should be working on, or what I should be paying attention to. Rather, they seem to coalesce on their own, issue by issue, over time, and come into my awareness as I’m ready to acknowledge them. Sometimes I know what the theme will be even before the year begins. Other times I don’t know until well into Spring or even Summer, but inevitably they always show themselves. They most usually take the form of something I need to change, accept, let go of, or work on - ideals like finding personal balance, dealing with the loss of a loved one, or challenging myself to be my authentic self.

The concepts have become so noticeable that it seemed only right to start naming them each year as a means of celebrating their presence in my world and to use them in becoming more emotionally aware and present. Each year now carries with it a proud moniker, a declaration of what the year will be, is, or has already become. Each theme comes complete with its own logo printed on a ‘life card’, much like a business card, that I keep with me in my wallet to remind me of where I am in my journey. I don't have the design for this year just yet but will post it as soon as I do. Each year has been an interesting revelation that peels back another layer of who I am, what I am about, and what is important to me.

In 2008 it became increasingly clear that I needed to work on finding more acceptance, kindness and love for myself and of myself. I needed to find love for what I’ve now learned is commonly known as my “inner child”, “inner self”, or “true self”. I need to be able to accept, like and love myself as I am. It seemed only right then that I proclaim this year “2008 PhiliaDiDi. Learning to Love Myself.”

Philia = brotherly love.

DiDi = my name when I was a little girl.

This blog is part of the process of learning to love myself. It is giving me a forum to speak and be heard/read by anyone who has an interest or similar struggle.