Jess hugs Himself, 2007
originally published in January 2007 at www.liciaberry.com
“I don’t like myself, I’m CRAZY about myself!”
-Mae West, 1892-1980
I wonder what the world would be like if we all felt this way? If we could all say genuinely, without reservation, “I am crazy about myself!”
If you are one of the fortunate people who already understand and implement the powerful choice to love yourself and enjoy the vast benefits, then you are ahead of most of humanity on the learning curve.
But many of us recoil in horror at the thought. “That would be egotistical!” “I would be embarrassed to say that.” Or, “That would be selfish and arrogant!” We were certainly not taught to love ourselves; in fact most of us were taught to put love of others over love of ourselves, and this is why we see the pain that is prevalent. It is truly not possible to love others from a place of non-love for self. If everyone loved themselves, it would be a very different world.
What if I were to challenge that voice inside that rejects the idea of self love by saying that the universe is literally made of love? Do you doubt it? What other force but love could explain the sheer generosity that made everything? What other force but love could cause the grass to grow effortlessly, and the sun to shine every day, and the infinite diversity of consciousness that sprawls all over the universe? You are Source energy! How is it possible that you could be unlovable? Grass does not doubt itself and slump over, refusing to grow, and a flower does not feel self loathing and decide it is not worthy to shine its face to the sun. All there is….is love….or the rejection of it. How are you rejecting love in your life? What better place to start to see love in the world than inside ourselves? How could we possibly have any effective measure of influence on the love in the world if we don’t love ourselves first?
And what if I were to take that a step further and tell you that to truly love everyone else, you MUST take care of yourself first, otherwise you have nothing to give? I love the quote from Esther Hicks when she channeled Abraham:
“Be ultimately selfless in being ultimately selfish by saying that I care so much about you that I will insist on being in my place of utter connection so that I have something to give you…..because if I do not tend to that, I do not have anything to give you, and if I do tend to that, then I have everything to give you.”
Part 2 tomorrow…So how do we joyfully surrender to loving ourselves unconditionally?
https://liciaberry.com/blog/2010/03/15/how-do-i-love-me-part-2/
