“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we will ever do.”
– Brene Brown
We can have very different life paths, blueprints, experiences, and expressions, yet we are all here, at some level, to embark on the journey of self-love. We incarnate into this earth school and exist in physical bodies, with an experience of the “I”. We come to experience ourselves as a particular part of being-ness. While we are still connected to the greater whole, we are ultimately discovering ourselves, as we are uniquely beautiful with our own extraordinary, individualized combination of energy. When we come to truly understand this, and see that our paths are designed to be different from anyone else’s, we can begin to detach from the views of others and honor our own personal soul guidance with much more ease, clarity, enthusiasm, decisiveness, courage, confidence, and strength.
In essence, when we can shift our perspective so that we can view everything that is transpiring in ourselves and our lives as an opportunity to deepen self-love, the drain of inner conflict, struggle, and suffering is released. We can then view our experiences as opportunities and blessings rather than curses and misfortunes. The path of self-love is also the path of freedom because we become untethered from the attachments and expectations we have been conditioned with, inherited, or have placed on ourselves. We become liberated and can then transcend the polarity of judgment, guilt, unworthiness, and any other blocks or obstacles to self-love. This also provides us the ability to give freedom to others, knowing that everyone is on their own path, doing their best to fulfill and realize their own divine potential and expression. In their own divine timing.
Sounds easy enough!!!! Yet it is considered one of the bravest and courageous journeys we will embark on: loving ourselves begins with accepting ourselves exactly as we are, as is, in the present time. To appreciate, validate, accept and support who we are at this moment. A major hindrance to this is that we often look upon our past with regret, shame, guilt, anger, resentment, etc. Wishing we could have done something different, or someone else had. Or that things had worked out differently so we would be or feel different now. We may also find ourselves wishing to be in the future, making who we are now inadequate.
From the viewpoint of the soul on its journey, each step is necessary, a part of the voyage needed to facilitate intended healing or the catalyst to transform, to shift consciousness. Each phase and experience provides the opportunity to birth a soul quality and/or to develop a necessary skill or strength of character the soul has intended. If an essential step is missed, it could interfere with the intended development and growth. This is also why appropriate noninterference and giving freedom to another is so important. What may appear to us as unnecessary struggle or ‘bad’ choices, can in fact be the most significant ingredient needed for our evolution. The more accepting we are of ourselves, the more we can be of others. Any judgment, whether it is to us, our past, or another person, essentially keeps us in separation consciousness and can be the biggest obstacle to self-love. It disconnects us from our hearts and our soul’s guidance, and aligning with our highest path of fulfillment.
Instead of making ourselves wrong for not making it yet, achieving something, etc., we can learn and choose to view what is and what has been as the necessary experience on the path of our journey. That we made decisions, responded, and did what we were capable of at that time, from the level of consciousness we were at. And that there is a divine order to that. Our past can assist us when we remember where we have succeeded, what we have learned, and who we have become because of it. Claiming the gifts are also encouraged. If we have become stronger, more understanding, forgiving, compassionate, gentle, etc., we can embrace and own these, which also supports the process of embodying the learning and quality acquired.
Self-love also involves humility, which comes from the heart, not the ego self. This means we are open to listening, learning, and seeing things from a new or different perspective, while we are still able to maintain our own center and soul truth. True confidence emerges because we have deep faith and trust in ourselves and our process. We can then be more authentically generous, loving, and kind. We are equally able to receive love from others.
One of the most empowering outcomes of self-love is that we align with our ‘conscious creator’. This process brings awareness of any beliefs that are keeping us small, limited, and in struggle. We understand that our beliefs create our reality, and we can begin to really get clear on who we want to rise into and what we now want to experience. Instead of wishing to be somewhere or someone else, we can begin to create a life we really love. We value and see ourselves as precious, unique, and worthy. We create our beautiful future by aligning, in the present moment, to that which we wish and intend to experience. And that is how the future then takes care of us.
Self-love is being in our heart. Honouring our soul’s guidance and acting upon it. Where we can nurture ourselves and be free of hindrances that prevent us from being free, loving, and in the flow. It is a fulfillment within, at our deepest level, and an unwavering centeredness and commitment to our highest path. It is the journey home to our true self.
