Self-Love

By Safire Rose

Implicit in Jesus’ teaching to love our neighbor as ourself, is the mandate to love ourselves because without self-love, it is impossible to love one another. Much like a shepherd herding its wayward sheep home, we love ourself every time we embrace any rejected or neglected aspect of ourself and bring it back into the fold of our loving awareness.

Kindness is the key to self-love.  It is the healing balm that nurtures our desire to love and care for our self. When difficulties arise, we can practice self-love by asking the question, What is the kindest thing I can do for myself right now?

Sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for yourself is simply being present to a negative emotion or disturbing thought inside of you, and letting it dissolve before you. Other times, the kindest thing you can do for yourself is gathering the courage to speak up for yourself when you find you have given your power to someone else.  In my own life, I demonstrated the kindness of self-love when I loved myself enough to let go of a cherished dream to become a practicing attorney after graduating from law school, because I felt a deeper calling to express myself as an author and a speaker.

The power of self-love may not be written down in the annals of history, or proven by a mathematical formula, but it is real.  However don’t take my word for it. Challenge yourself to meet the smallest quantum of adversity in your life with the cosmic kindness of self-love. Then watch as the door of your heart opens to every living thing.

The Practice:  Periodically throughout the day today, especially if something or someone upsets you, stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself, What is the kindest thing I can do for myself right now?

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