Self-love, so essential, yet for me, so hard to achieve. I try; some times, I get as far as self-like, and a touch of self-forgetfulness. I am aware of needing self-love to move forward. I will keep trying.
Have you achieved self-love? Please talk to me about it and the process to achieve. Wise words chosen by a wise woman. Thanks Wendy for Mindfulness Monday posts.
“The first thing is to love yourself.
You cannot progress by self doubt and self hatred.
You can only progress by self love.”
~ Dipa Ma
“You can search throughout the entire universe
for someone who is more deserving
of your love and affection than you are yourself,
and that person is not to be found anywhere.
You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe,
deserve your love and affection”
~Buddha
**another photo by my friend Kara. All rights reserved. Please do not use.
Lorraine's frilly freudian slip 
July 25, 2017 at 10:26 am
Unfortunately, each person’s path to self- love is … well … personal and intimate. And what works one day doesn’t necessarily work the next – so best to have a basket (I was going to write arsenal – but that sounds too “battle-ish” and heh, maybe it should be “arse-enal” – but that’s just whatever, anal – like my comment?) …. and the cat says hello as she’s sitting on my hands as I type and fur flies from her like feathers to tickle my face ….
right baskets – a basket with different “salves and balms” – things that work – from which to pull – but I’m thinking, at the core – it starts with, hold onto your hat honey, SELF-FORGIVENESS.
In order to self love (God, in some circumstances that would sound kinky) – but in order to love one self, you have to just have to accept ALL of you – as you are, without criticism, judgment, comparison or complaint, and forgive the pieces that make you feel “less than” – and here’s the kicker – stop staying or choosing to live in the past and with the “victim” mentality. It doesn’t matter how deeply grooved the head soundtrack, it doesn’t matter how deeply scarred and wounded – and by whom – what seems to keep coming up is something much simpler: at the base and root of self-forgiveness? Fear. Fear. Fear of allowing ourself to just “be” within our own skins – and then saying, “okay” – I’m okay, wait – I should have written I AM Okay. And I WILL be okay, ten minutes from now, ten hours from now, tomorrow. And accepting this, and believing it – and living with this, with absolutely NO exceptions or excuses – with conscious INTENTION. I AM OKAY. I WILL BE OKAY.
Not easy, but it’s just as much a choice to choose to stay in the crap energy and cycle as it is to stop and breathe, and say, I now, right now, choose something “other.”
and just because (((((((((((Lorraine))))))))))
just adding my babble on garden thoughts here ….
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July 25, 2017 at 7:56 pm
I just finished rereading for the I-don’t-know-how-many times the transcript of the Art of Being Yourself.
I’ve been having a texversation about the concepts of self-love, etc. with Wendy. And, the one I have been trying is self-forgiveness. That maybe self-forgiveness comes with self-love, or may be for me, it has to be a separate entity — a thing to be pondered first. And you know my fears. And the rootedness of tendrils and tentacles they make.
Last couple of days been rough to forgive and forget. But that doesn’t mean, I know, that every day has to be. I slip and slide. Not an excuse, an observation
Anyway, I got lots to say, so I’ll shift to an email later.
Thanks and ((((((((((Pat)))))))))) just because back.
And, I’m walking in the garden of babble on too. Maybe we’re on the same path.
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July 26, 2017 at 11:30 am
LOL – the path in the garden of babble on holds many ;)
If you haven’t watched the video – try it on for size – it seems longer than it is – but her voice is amazing, Scottish accent and all – and maybe it might ‘click’ some of the things in terms of allowing you easier “digestion” and then processing. Either way, it’s interesting and powerful stuff, – well I thought so.
Self-forgiveness and/or self-love? which comes first? kind of like the chicken and the egg – and I think it all probably comes down to maybe even being one and the same – and that our meager attempts to “define” and “understand” gets lost in the translation when we use “words” – but however it is named, for you, for me, or for anyone else, well, perhaps we struggle with it when trying to explain and share, but really, if “it” is something you just come to – a place of peace, however long or temporary, and if offers comfort and solace, then that’s the blessing.
And yeah, fears – but hey, we all have them – they may be different and/or similar, but we all have them – so we’re never really alone.
No. and not an excuse – an observation – and that’s how it is – we try, we slip, we rock back, we step back up, move ahead, walk well for awhile, then something else flips us the finger and we trip again.
But I guess it’s okay to honour this too – because pretending or denying the wealth of our feelings and emotions does no good either – so yeah, self-love and acceptance and ‘forgiveness’ is the sum total of this. And then, there is a key thing too – how do we define “forgiveness” – of self, and others – and is this definition honest and truthful to us? It’s a bit like the crazy rides at the fun fair – the ones that make you sick and yet everyone else is like “no no, really, it’s the best” – and yet, it doesn’t work for you – so there is that aspect too.
Anyhow, enough of my babbling on – and take your time with emails – as you are able etc. No worries or hurries – and thanks for the hugs – and right back at you (((((((((((Lorraine)))))))
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