"If you could get rid of yourself just once, the secret of secrets would open to you. The face of the unknown hidden beyond the universe would appear on the mirror of your perception." - Rumi
Self-love seems to be a challenge for all of us. Recently I was visiting with a friend, catching up and discussing various challenges we were working through. As we delved into them I realized that although our challenges we literally opposite, they were rooted in the same lake of total self-love.
My friend is a very discipline person, it is his gift this life. It comes to him without too much effort. If he says he is going to do something, he follows through. He is committed to finishing even when his perspective on the issue may have changed from when he started the task. His challenge is not discipline or follow through, but rather in loving himself throughout the journey. He is too hard on himself and no matter how much he accomplishes it’s usually not “good enough.”
My challenge on the other hand is discipline. I am not being too hard on myself, its true :) I have been told by many astrologers that my great challenge this life is going to be to cultivating a deep sense of discipline, but that once I do it – it will become my greatest gift.
As we were talking, it hit me. We are both trying to make strides in life that serve us in growth and health. Most of us living lives of consciousness are on paths of self-improvement. However, we get stuck when we do not acknowledge our accomplishments or when we are unable to push ourselves to do a little more. Without self-love, we fall into a state of imbalance on either side of the pendulum.
For me, self-love needs to go deeper so that I know exercising discipline is not restrictive, but a road to greater freedom. If I can remain focused and dedicated to my mission and goals my self-love can serve me and open new, bigger possibilities.
For my friend, it is about recognizing his amazing gift of discipline - to find joy and fulfillment in the journey and peace in the outcome. Self-love will enable him to experience the fruits of his labor rather than moving so swiftly onto another focus.
So here we all are with a lack of self-love. How do we begin to truly love ourselves?
I am reading “How to know God,” by Patanjali who was a great yogic master and enlightened being. In this book he speaks to the Atman. The Atman is the Divine essences within each and every one of us. Patanjali talks about striping away all the layers of the self (the personality, stories, the ego, the identity). Basically all that you think you are and all that you think you lack. It reminds me of the movie Born Identity; if you were to have your life taken away from you and your memory erased who would you be? You would still be here, breathing and very much alive, but if everything you thought you were was gone in a moment could you exist simply as your light- that light is your Atman?
Once we go beyond our own identity we can see that we are in fact the Divine, each and every one of us. So to judge ourselves or have anything less than love for ourselves is to not love the Divine. This may resonate with you or not. In either case, how do we take this concept or truth (depending on how you see it) and apply it in our lives so that is serves us, and is not just another idea from a dead guy?
When my creepy-little-lacking-loving-self comes up I consciously strip away my "identity" and see the Divine. Sometimes I just use my imagination if I am not in the right mind space to truly embody the feeling (fake it to make it). I remind myself of the truth; I am the Divine, nothing less or more. Simply the Divine, here to experience this human life and to not love myself is to not love all that is true in my heart.
What do you do? What will you do? Let us love the divine in our self so that we may be compassionate and present – fully able to serve.
