What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything!

The second step on the journey to wholeness is loving yourself.  Love yourself fully and completely.

We are not taught to love ourselves; we are taught to compare, criticize, and judge our way out of our own human perfection. Television and media, young adult books, high school, and maybe even our parents, all conspired to teach us that we weren’t good enough. The system was set up that way, so we would be in a constant state of self-hate, looking to someone or something to uplift us, change us, or make us somehow better. People who hate themselves spend a lot of money on external validation via magazines, fashion, beauty and health services, gym memberships, etc. and will continue to do so until they experience a defining moment of self-realization.

Self-realization

According to Wikipedia…

Self-realization is an expression used in psychology, spirituality, and Eastern religions. It is defined as the “fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one’s character or personality.

In one overview, Mortimer Adler defines self-realization as freedom from external coercion, including cultural expectations, political and economic freedom, and the freedom from worldly attachments and desires etc. Paramahansa Yogananda defined Self-realization as “the knowing — in body, mind, and soul – that we are one with the omnipresence of God; that we do not have to pray that it come to us, that we are not merely near it at all times, but that God’s omnipresence is our omnipresence; that we are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing.”

Once you realize that you are a powerful being, a celebration of the perfection of the earth and sun, the stars and the sky, you will never commit these acts of cruelty to yourself. Loving yourself becomes easy because you know you are an important part of life, and your very essence is pure.

“What can I do?”

Begin to shift your focus from what is wrong to what is right.

When you find something in your life that brings you joy or that you feel gratitude for, focus on that feeling. It can be a favorite song, your favorite place or a book that changed your life. It can be a cherished memory,

Practice saying the words, I love you, to yourself. Feel into it, experience it, and send love to all parts of your body. With practice your cells will sing with joy. Learn to love all your quirky parts and imperfections. If you are a visual person, visualize sending love to all parts of your body. If you fancy music above all else, sing or tone “I love you” to all your cells. Intuit the best way for you and your body.

After regular consistent practice, you will begin to change the way you see yourself. Learning to love yourself is the best thing you can do to change your life for the better. And even if after you read this article, you still want to cling to your self-hate, love and honor that too.