Love Yourself

The only power there is to bring you back from the brink of anything is the power of love for yourself. There are so many things that require our discipline - whether it's habits or lifestyle or anything - and yet there is no level of discipline that is truly enough to hold us back from the brink of doing to ourselves that which we know is not healthy for ourselves.

But knowing that isn't enough because if we already loved ourselves, obviously there would be no perilous perching on any brinks, we would all be slender beings with no unhealthy habits and full of joy and happiness.

There isn't a trick to make loving yourself something easy, but there are some little things that can help you along the way...

1. Presence. When you are present, you are not wishing you were something else or something different than you are right now. When you are not wishing to be something else, you have alot more energy to accept who you are as you are.

2. Gratitude. By starting small and practicing gratitude on yourself, you can begin to learn to love the parts of you that you currently reject. Stick with your presence and start appreciating yourself not wishing anything were any different than it was. This type of gratitude is important - because that which you love you care for and caring for something lovingly is easy to do for others and you can now begin doing it for yourself.

3. Forgive. As my friend was so fond of telling me, you have to forgive yourself (and all others) for ever forgetting that you are a perfect part of the perfect whole. Let go of the ego, the need to be right, the need to win, the need to prove anything to anyone, just let it all go and forgive yourself for ever engaging in it. Forgive yourself for forgetting to love yourself, when you are so worthy of all the love in the world.

It's not an easy process, but it is a vital process. We each have our "brinks" whether we are eating poorly, engaging in poor habits, avoiding life by non-participation or refusing to do the things we know our bodies and minds need. Our birthright is happiness, and yet, happiness embodies love, love, love. To do that which need to do to be happy and healthy human beings, love is imperative.

Love yourself. You're worthy.

Blessings.
- Darshan



(c) 2009 Darshan F Jessop