🌸 How I Found My Way Back to Myself (One Gentle Ritual at a Time)

TrueSelf in Flip-Flops: One woman’s barefoot journey to self-love & salty freedom

There was a time in my life when I couldn’t quite explain what was wrong.

From the outside, things looked okay. I had responsibilities. People who needed me. I kept going. But inside… something felt heavy. Off. Disconnected.

I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t falling apart. I was just… gone.

I didn’t realize at the time that I had drifted so far from myself. Until one day, I stumbled across something that quietly changed everything.

It was a Hawaiian healing practice called Ho’oponopono.

Four simple phrases. At first glance, they didn’t seem like much.

But somehow, I felt drawn in.

I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.

They felt foreign. Strange. Uncomfortable. Especially the last one.

“I love you.” 

I couldn’t even say it out loud to myself at first. It made my chest tighten and my throat close up. But that’s when I knew—this is exactly where I needed to begin.

The Ritual That Brought Me Home

I didn’t turn it into a big routine. I didn’t even tell anyone I was doing it.

I just began. Quietly. Privately. Sometimes in the mirror. Sometimes before sleep. Sometimes with tears in my eyes, I say the words to the little girl in me who never felt quite good enough.

And slowly—something softened.

Those four phrases became a ritual. A practice of peeling back layers of guilt, shame, and old stories I didn’t even know I was carrying.

As I practiced, I began to notice something beautiful:

• I could look in the mirror without flinching.

• I could feel an emotion without judging it.

• I could say, “I love you,” and actually mean it.

And from there, other rituals began to bloom naturally. Not because I had to—but because I wanted to.

These Are the Rituals That Helped Me Reconnect

They’re simple. But they hold power. Not to fix me—but to help me remember who I really am:

1. Ho’oponopono – A daily forgiveness and love ritual. I whisper it to myself, especially when I feel overwhelmed or not enough.

2. Mirror Presence – Just looking into my own eyes and breathing. No judgment. Just… being there.

3. Self-touch – Gently placing my hand on my heart when I feel anxious. It reminds my body, “We’re safe. I’m here.”

4. Tea in Silence – No phone. No plans. Just sipping tea and letting my thoughts settle, like snow in a globe.

5. Journaling With Compassion – Not to solve anything. Just to be heard—by me.

This Is What I Know Now

You don’t reconnect with yourself by doing more. You come back by listening. By softening. By saying, “I love you,” even when it feels awkward.

Especially then.

Because your inner self hasn’t left. She’s just been waiting for a safe moment to speak.

If you’re in that place of not-quite-right… I see you. I’ve been there.

And maybe these rituals will help you begin—gently, honestly, in your own time.

With love,

Ada Adrianna