Self-Love
and Happiness are closely related.
People who love themselves have an easier time being happy and their
happiness is not necessarily connected to something external; it is internal. People who lack self-love usually correlate
happiness to something external.
Happiness to non-self-loving humans is often associated with
distraction. They seek something that is
apart from themselves. They might be
less introspective, but more introverted, but if they are extroverts they might
feel insecure underneath their masks.
Self-Love
is more important than we think. It shapes and influences everything we do and
experience. Cultivating self-love from a
place of non-self-love is very important.
It should be taught in schools, but who could teach such a subject? Most of us do not live in societies that care
about the inner life of an individual.
Our societies are greed driven and are concerned about what they can get
from human beings. It is harsh. Self-love
is the opposite; it is warm and cozy.
How can we cultivate self-love in a world that values hiding emotions
and feelings in order to be more efficient?
I
believe that within each of us is a blue-print of a remedy for every type of
negativity known. There is a secret
intelligence inside of our beating hearts that point us to salvation if we can
listen to it. However, there is a lot of
noise in this world, a lot of chatter in our minds, and a lot of distractions to
take us away from our centers. Even if
we know our own heart and what makes it beat, we might be swayed away from
knowing ourselves. Cultivating self-love
involves the challenge to listen to our deep knowing of who we really are and
what makes us feel centered and whole.
Knowing information and acting on inner guidance are two different
things. We might have a strong feeling
of knowing who we are, but we might be very conditioned to not listen to our
inner truth. Society has done a good job
at controlling us and diverting us away from our core, from our passions, from
who we truly are. It sometimes takes an
esoteric battle to meet ourselves and pursue what is true. Taking on that challenge is the biggest step
towards self-love. Being concerned with
our ultimate happiness is a sign of self-love.
People must be ready to enter into the sometimes fierce challenge to be
who they really are.
It
is easy to love oneself and be happy when we have parents and teachers who help
guide us to our own deep, true selves.
But, most people don’t have that.
It is rare to be valued for who we really are; that is an inside
job. We learn from an early age that
value is often defined by pleasing another, by fitting in, by conforming to a
way of being that might be opposite from our inner guidance. The challenge to break out of conformity, to
break out of the mold of who we are supposed to be, and meet ourselves
truthfully can be overwhelming. Some
cannot enter into this type of challenge.
Some go to battle and fail. Some
are exhausted before they even start. However, there are a few of us that are
driven towards happiness and self-love.
If our desire is strong, we will be guided by a silent force that pushes
us over and over again. We may have
glimpses of our true selves as if passing by a still pond and for a moment
being able to see our own reflection. We
may lack patience and introspection to be able to embrace our truth and instead
reach for a flat stone to skip on the surface of the water thus shattering the
still mirror image that was trying to show us something. Our own busy mind cannot often stand still
enough to listen to divine guidance that seeks to show us our inner selves so
that we may strive to be who we really are.
We might fail time and time again into what seems like eternity, until
one lifetime makes the ingredients of determination strong enough.
Taking
on the challenge to reach self-love and true, deep, inner happiness cannot be
separated from this pursuit to be who we truly are. We might have to defy society, defy who we
thought we were, defy everything we have been taught about reality. It might be
such a swift challenge that some might end up taking their own life. Yet, there are a few who have faced the challenge
and have won. They evolve to be their
authentic selves and serve as a way-shower for many. It is these people who have something to give
billions of people: hope. Combine hope
with perseverance. Add determination to
learn to know who we truly are. Take
inspired action to express this inner light.
Perhaps if enough of us do this, then the world will truly be an
uplifted place to call home.
